


Orbits

by Springfieldbluebird



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Assorted sleemos, Other, Past Rape/Non-con mentioned but not directly shown
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-08-27
Packaged: 2019-06-05 22:50:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 92,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15181070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Springfieldbluebird/pseuds/Springfieldbluebird
Summary: Lothal's Imperial presence is increasing, and along with it, rebel activity begins to rise. A drifter, a street rat, and a girl with hidden scars meet two unlikely allies as they try to put an end to the Empire's evil plan.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Rated: T. Maybe T+ for brief mention of unsavory things like drug dealers and other types of sleemos. Nothing bad happens here to anyone though...at least not yet.
> 
> The is definitely an alternate universe type reboot. Hope you like it! (It's been cross-posted at FF, so if you read both places, you may have seen this before!)

Chapter 1

The boy didn't notice he was being followed.  Kanan first sensed him when he stepped out into the street from the bar.

Immediately, the man's attention was drawn toward the small figure in the orange flightsuit and it remained on him. Anxiety rolled off the kid like light from a neon sign; it beat in his Force signature like a heartbeat.

Kanan Jarrus wanted to ignore the Force and move on, but a sweep of his teal eyes showed him that the kid was in bad shape. The small boy was skinny and dirty, his worn flight suit a few sizes too big for him. Even the patches were patched on its faded surface. The kid's long hair fell into his eyes, hiding the keen, hungry presence that looked out, weighing and measuring each of the passersby with an appraising, predatory look.

Those eyes narrowed and focused. Apparently the boy had chosen a victim. An Aqualish. A very drunk Aqualish, at that. This was going to end well, or badly, depending on the point of view, Kanan thought with a frown. He slipped through the cool night, shadowing the pair, but staying far enough back to escape notice. The booze was an impediment he was used to, so he easily made adjustments.

They turned down a street, then made another turn into a part of town where the seedier hotels were located. Once they neared an alley, the kid made his move. Predictably, he reached out and picked the alien's pocket for his cred chip. It seemed like he was going to lift it smoothly, when his hand jerked at the last moment and the Aqualish noticed. It turned quickly, saying something Kanan wasn't close enough to hear, but when it grabbed the boy and threw him against the wall, Kanan got the point loud and clear.

He didn't reach the Aqualish until the kid had already been struck several times. There was a cut on the kid's lip and he was trying to fight back, but to no avail. The alien didn't let the boy go, but complained loudly as he turned toward Kanan. "Boy tried to steal my credits!" he bleated.

Kanan put a hand on the Aqualish's shoulder. "He's just a kid." He reached over and took the stolen credits from the bleeding would-be thief. "Here. Take them and count yourself lucky."

"I'm…I'm calling the troopers," the Aqualish looked around as if one would miraculously appear in this part of town. _Tough luck, you ugly bastard_ , Kanan thought with a smirk. Many Aqualish were criminals and drug runners, so Kanan didn't have much sympathy for him. He felt a bit more for the kid, who was trying to make the best of whatever shitty life he was able to eke out on the street.

The Aqualish protested again, and Kanan snorted. He inclined his head and stared into the creature's eyes. "You don't need to call the troopers. You should go back to your hotel and go to sleep. It's been a long day."

"Kriff off!" The creature moved as if he were going to make a lunge for the kid and Kanan snatched at him, throwing him back against the wall.

 _Damn it,_ he had slurred his words and lost his hold on the creature's mind. He leaned in close, narrowed his eyes with concentration and tried again. "This is NOT a good side of town. You need to go back to your hotel or something bad's going to happen."

The creature shook his head slightly, then turned and wobbled away from them down the street.

Kanan turned to the kid, who had slumped down against the wall and was eyeing him intently. "Kriffin' kid. Not too good at this are you?" The drifter held a hand out for the boy so he could pull the kid to his feet.

"Whatever." The kid stared curiously at Kanan for a brief moment, then turned away to go.

Kanan could feel the hunger gnawing at the kid, along with desperation, so he caught the boy by the thin shoulder. "Come on. You're hungry and I need something to eat to soak up all this alcohol," he slurred in his Outer Rim drawl. Maybe with some food on his stomach, sobering up would be a little easier.

The kid didn't move, but watched him with his dark blue eyes. "Why?"

Kanan blinked for a moment, not understanding. "What?"

"What do you want?" The kid asked, still watching him warily.

Kanan shrugged, letting his hand fall. "Nothin'. You just looked like you needed a meal, if you don't mind my saying, but whatever."

The kid remained staring at him, saying nothing, so he turned and began walking down the street; well, he wouldn't call it walking, but it wasn't staggering either. Whatever state of drunk it was, he'd had a lot of practice at it. When his shoulder scraped against the wall, he righted himself, and kept walking, more or less going generally in the right direction back the way they had come. He kind of felt bad about the kid, but at least he'd stopped the Aqualish before any real damage was done, he told himself. The kid had survived this long, so he'd probably be okay.

There'd been a diner around here somewhere near the last bar he'd been at. The spaceport was nearby, though, so if he couldn't find the diner, there were surely some restaurants serving that brand of quick, greasy food that spaceports were famous for. As he neared the neon sign of a restaurant, he heard the sound of shoes behind him. Turning, he glanced over his shoulder and saw the kid was following, a few steps behind.

"You're pretty drunk," the kid said, not in an accusatory way-more like an observation. As if Kanan wasn't the first drunk he'd seen.

Kanan smirked. "You're pretty perceptive. Give the kid a prize," he replied, pulling on the door of the restaurant. When he saw the kid didn't follow him in, he raised an eyebrow questioningly, still holding the door open.

"Hey, uh…I…I don't have any money…" A furrow formed on the boy's brow as he stopped cold.

Kanan snorted. "Yeah? Tell me something I don't know, kid." But when he eyed the boy, his expression was not unkind. "I got you. C'mon."

They sat down at the diner, and food was ordered. The kid looked around him, blinking in the strong light like a loth-toad waking up from hibernation after the first rains of summer. "I used to come here…a long time ago. With…with my mom."

"So you're from around here, huh?" Kanan asked.

"Yeah." There was a long pause, then the boy's next sentence came out in fits and starts. "So, okay...Uh…what's your angle? If you don't mind me asking…"

"What?" Kanan asked as the waitress brought him caf. The kid had ordered some type of spiced tea, which didn't seem to fit his grubby profile. In the bright light, he realized the kid was younger than he'd seemed on the street. Continuing to size up his dinner companion, he noticed there was something awkward about how the kid grasped his mug. He was clumsy with it, but trying to be careful, as if he was working with his off hand. His left hand was clenched tightly as he used it to steady the mug. The cut on the kid's lip had stopped bleeding, but maybe he was more injured in the earlier scuffle than he'd first seemed. He blinked as the kid watched him, then he realized the kid had said something. "Huh? Sorry."

"Like, if you're doing this because you need something. I can help work on your ship if you're looking for a mechanic, or if you're looking for a dealer, glitterstim, ryll, whatever…" here the boy lowered his voice, "I might know some people."

Kanan blinked again. Was the kid offering to score drugs for him? He didn't know if it was the alcohol or just the matter of fact way the kid spoke that made it hard to believe he was hearing what he was hearing. Not that it was the first time he'd been offered something like that, but the kid just looked so kriffin' young. About nine or ten by Kanan's best guess. "Uh no. No angle like that kid." The kid was obviously intimately familiar with the local underworld as well. Perhaps he was a lot older than he looked.

"Oh." The kid nodded, eyes dark and unreadable. "Okay. I just figured…" he shrugged, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

Kanan had to ask. "Figured what?" He took a sip of the strong Spiran caf. It was black and slightly sweet, the way he preferred it. Maybe it would clear out some of the fog in his brain.

"That you helped me 'cause you needed something. And I didn't peg you for a sleemo, so I figured it was something like you looking for someone to work for you, or hook you up or whatever."

"Sleemo?" Kanan knew he was missing something here.

"You know, a guy who gets into kids and stuff." Ezra looked up, and seeing the stricken expression on Kanan's face, he got up to go. "Oh. Okay," he said, misunderstanding. "Sorry, um…I'm not interested. I'll just go…"

With a nauseous twist of his stomach, Kanan finally absorbed and reacted to what the kid had meant. "No. NO." He shook his head, his face a grimace. "I'm not…definitely not a sleemo." Ezra slowly sat back down. Kanan weighed his next question before asking it, because he really didn't want to know. "That…uh…that kind of thing happen a lot?"

The kid nodded casually, now more at ease as he took another sip of his tea. Again the odd, clumsy movement as he brought the cup to his mouth.

"You okay?" Kanan asked, motioning to the kid's left hand.

"Yeah. I kinda hurt it, but it'll be ok." The kid mumbled. They were interrupted by the waitress, who brought two plates of roasted nerf and herbed vegetables. The dish smelled amazing, so they dug in.

"What's your name, kid?"

"Ezra."

"I'm Kanan." They ate in silence for a while. "So, you originally from this planet?"

"Yep. You're not, though. I can tell that you've got an Inner Core accent…under the other."

Kanan measured the kid again with a keen stare. His Outer Rim drawl was usually enough to cover up any hint of where he'd grown up. Ezra was obviously sharp. "Good ear, kid. I was born on Coruscant, but that was a long time ago." Kanan watched as the kid polished off the serving of food quickly, despite working with his off-hand. He must have been starving. When he was done, the kid sat back, watching Kanan continue with his meal. The waitress had brought out a whole loaf of thick white bread and the drifter pushed his uneaten half to the kid, who devoured it.

"Want something else?" Kanan watched as Ezra shook his head, no.

"Look. There's nothing I can do to help you out?" Ezra asked around a mouthful of bread. Kanan could sense he seemed uncomfortable again. "I know my way around freighters and…"

Kanan shook his head, finishing his own meal. "No spaceship; I'm new in town."

"So you're here looking for a job?" Ezra asked.

"Maybe. Something for the short term. Not looking to settle down here or anything."

"Okay. Where are you staying?" Kanan gave him the location. It was actually just down the street, Ezra realized. "If I hear anything, I'll get back with you tomorrow." The kid got to his feet to go.

"Look. Here." The drifter handed Ezra a few credits. "An advance, in case you hear about a job. Appreciate you keeping an eye out for me." It was just an excuse to give the kid some money. Kanan hated to admit that he'd been affected, but the kid actually had a lot of charisma. In the short time they'd been together Kanan had seen something of his own younger days in Ezra-memories that were better pushed away.

Ezra's face was filled with confusion at the offer of money, but he wasn't stupid. He started to grasp the money with his left hand, but abruptly changed and took the money in his right. "I don't get you, but ok. Thanks," he looked up, trying to figure out this drifter who seemed so clueless. Maybe it was the alcohol and the guy was a lot drunker than he appeared. "I'll look around for you. If I can find something, I'll let you know." Then he turned and vanished through the door and into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

Ezra glanced up at the skinny Ryll-user's thoughtful expression as he took in the state of the damaged mechanics. "Look Ratchet, I need this fixed as soon as I can get it," Ezra said.

"Cool your jets, kid." Ratchet was a local mech-head who fixed tech for pay. If you could catch him at the right time, not too sick from withdrawal and not too high, he could do some fair work. He lifted his dark eyes to Ezra's briefly, smirking at Ezra's haste. Then lowered his head to the task again, his greasy hair obscuring his eyes.

Ratchet grabbed one of his smaller tools and disassembled some of the cybernetic's connections to what was left of Ezra's palm, where his fingers had been severed a few years ago. "This is some delicate work. Your shit's just old and you're growing out of it. You got this thing since…when? When you were working with Arsen, right?"

"Yeah." Ezra frowned at the memory of the accident that caused him to lose his fingers and a great deal of his palm when he was nine. "Look. I need my hand to work." Ezra's features tightened with worry. Even though the odd stranger had helped him, money was still getting harder to come by and he didn't even have a fourth of the amount he'd need for a new prosthetic saved up yet. If he couldn't use his hand…he wouldn't be able to lift enough money and food to survive, or much less defend himself. "It doesn't matter how it looks, as long as it's working." He gritted his teeth as he tried to remind himself that Arsen was long gone, and he had to fend for himself now. It didn't stop him from wishing bitterly that the old man still had his back, though.

"Shunfa!" Ratchet threw the implement he was holding back into the box of similar tools and selected a smaller one. "I'll give it a try." Time passed while the mech-head worked on the tiny connections from the mechanics of Ezra's prosthetic to the scarred tissue of his hand. "I…uh…heard the Wendigo needs a few people. He'd get ya set up with a new unit. You might have to be a runner for him for a while to pay it off, but it would work."

Ezra face turned sour. "No. Kriff that. He uses kids for more than just running his spice." The way he cut his eyes at Ratchet said that they both knew exactly what Wendigo used some kids for. Especially the better-looking ones.

Ratchet shrugged, then rubbed at his eyes and tried to focus on the task. After a few moments, he frowned when he saw the servomotors were beyond repair. "Ok…the bad news. I think the servos are shot. Gonna be a week before I can get my guy to track a few down, if he can even find them. Look on the bright side. It's gonna stay closed into a fist, so if anyone kriffs with you, at least you can punch 'em."

"Just great." Ezra frowned. He dipped into his meager stash of credits and dropped a few into Ratchet's greasy hand. The addict frowned, but Ezra didn't offer any more. "I'll be back. If you get anything sooner than next week, let me know, okay? I can't work like this. I almost got my ass beat by an Aqualish because this thing malfunctioned."

"Damn, that sucks." Ratchet whistled. He reached in his pocket and pulled out a bindle of ryll. He shook it back and forth it in his fingers to settle the powder to the bottom before he ripped it open. "Did it freeze up on you when you lifted his credstick?"

"Yeah, but it worked out okay." Ezra began to make his way over to the door of the run-down hovel that Ratchet was squatting in. Ratchet was usually easy to deal with when he was high, but Ezra didn't necessarily want to hang around for that. "I gotta go. Take it easy, and comm me."

"You got it, Ez." Ratchet gave a two-fingered salute as Ezra left.

* * *

" **Your** droid is complaining again." Zeb groused. He was working on flushing out the fuel lines in the Ghost, which always put him in a bad mood. Hera needed their ship to be ready to fly at a moment's notice, so the maintenance had to be done. They were on a mission for her contact Fulcrum, and you never knew what might happen and necessitate a hasty exit. It was mid-morning and he was looking forward to getting some lunch and a much-needed nap soon.

"Yeah. Tell me something I don't know. Chopper!" Hera shook her head and massaged her forehead. Then she stalked toward the loading bay, ready to admonish Chopper, who was supposed to be cleaning up the bay in preparation for a delivery of dry goods to go to farmers on Behsan. It was a good cover for their real work. Out of all her operatives, Fulcrum had specifically called them because of their ability to hide in plain sight. They had been to Lothal several times in recent weeks, so the shadowy operative was depending on them to find out what the Empire was up to this time. They had three days to find out and Hera had set everyone she knew into motion, looking to find out which top-level Imperial was coming to Lothal and why. Fulcrum seemed to think the Imperials were setting some sort of trap, so she had warned Hera to be extremely careful. Her plan was to check things out as they waited on their "delivery" for Behsan. They were parked in their usual spot in the Lothal spaceport, a central place to watch the comings and goings into the city. "Chopper! If you aren't done cleaning the cargo bay, so help me…"

She stopped when she reached the balcony overlooking the cargo bay. Chopper stood in front of a human boy somewhere between 11 and 13 years old, blocking the ramp so that the interloper couldn't gain entrance to the ship. He even had his shock prod extended. Droids... "Chopper! I oughta dismantle you." She growled in a low voice. Then she raised her eyes to the scrawny-looking kid standing at the end of the ramp. "Can we help you?"

"Hi." The kid's smile was disarming. He was dressed in a ratty flightsuit that didn't fit well. "I was actually looking to see if you needed some help while you're in spaceport. My parents and I have a ship in one of the other bays and we broke down. We got all our parts and got the ship fixed, but we have to pay our port fees before we can leave. I was wondering if I might help out around here for a few credits."

"I'm sorry. We don't need any…"

"Who's this?" Zeb called, joining Hera.

"Kid. Looking for a job."

The furry wookie-looking creature slid down the ladder, making his way over to the boy and sniffing him. "Kid smells."

Ezra could hardly see how the wookie-thing could sense anything, the way he himself reeked. "You're not a breath of fresh air yourself," he shot back.

The creature growled, a threateningly low and dangerous tone that made Ezra actually take a step back. Then he grinned. "Kid's got a sense of humor. I like that." He clapped Ezra on the back, which made him almost fall over.

"Maybe he could clean the vents. They're pretty dirty." Hera said thoughtfully.

"He looks a little sketchy, but I guess I can keep an eye on him." Zeb said.

"Okay. I'll pay twelve credits for you to clean the vents. If work's not up to my standard, no pay. Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it," the kid smiled sweetly and Hera raised an eyebrow skeptically.

"I'm Hera. What's your name?" Hera asked.

"Ezra."

"Zeb will show you where the cleaning supplies are. Zeb, I gotta go meet with Zarhan. Will you be okay with the kid?"

"Yeah. Come on." Zeb motioned to the skinny boy. "Follow me."

* * *

The kid had been in the vents for at least an hour. After a while, Zeb had wandered to the smaller shuttle attached to the Ghost to check on its fuel reserves and run badly needed diagnostics. When he finished up, he headed down the ladder to check on Ezra.

The first thing he noticed was that the now-dirty rags and can of cleaner were on the Dejarik table. "Ezra?" Zeb called, looking around. He made his way to the vent in the hallway, where the kid had gone in, and called into it. "Ezra? Kid?"

There was a soft thump from the kitchen, and Zeb turned around to see the kid standing there, closing, then shouldering his backpack clumsily.

Ears prickling with suspicion, Zeb approached. "What're you doing in the kitchen, kid?"

"Looking for you." Ezra said smoothly. "I'm done if you want to check my work." Even though Ezra's heart was pounding, he kept his face innocent and his eyes fixed on Zeb's face. Looking away would signal dishonesty, so he kept his gaze even and steady.

Zeb's eyes narrowed. "I think I'd like to see what you have in that backpack."

Ezra stayed calm, still hoping he could talk his way out of this. "It's just some junk I've picked up around the spaceport."

"I'll be the judge of that." Zeb lunged and grabbed both the kid and the backpack. They struggled for long moments. Zeb yanked the backpack and it opened, spilling out a mass of ration bars. If Zeb hadn't had such a tight hold on the kid's jumpsuit, Ezra would have been out of there.

"What in the world is going on?" The two stopped struggling and looked up to see a stern Twi'lek glaring over them, hands on hips.

"Kid was trying to rip us off." Zeb said, standing up and hauling the kid to his feet.

"Let him go, Zeb." Hera's eyes swept over the pile of ration bars, then back to Ezra. Now that she had a minute, she could get a better look. The kid was skinny and small, and undoubtedly hungry. She eyed the cuffs of his jumpsuit and saw that they were dirty and frayed. His hair was an inky mess-so long it flopped over his eyes until he pushed it back, then glared at Zeb defiantly. There was no mother waiting for this child at home, she was sure. She'd just been too preoccupied and hadn't realized this kid was homeless and hungry.

"Both of you, pick up the mess." She narrowed her eyes at them, and they snapped to obey without question. As they worked, she stepped around the pile of bars and went to the conservator. When she turned back Zeb and Ezra had picked up the ration bars and stacked them on the counter. Next to the even piles of bars she set five meilooruns, then reached up into a cabinet to find some packs of other dried fruits. "Put all of that in your backpack," she instructed. "Do it now—" she added as the boy hesitated.

"Hera—" Zeb protested.

"Not right now, Zeb. Give me a minute with the kid, ok?"

Zeb rolled his eyes and then eyed the kid darkly. Finally, he left, grumbling that Chopper had been right with his first assessment of this little lothrat.

Ezra glared after him, but turned when Hera spoke.

"Don't mind him. Grumpy is his natural state." Hera leaned back against the cabinets and watched Ezra picking up ration bars. He was grasping a pile of them with one hand and scooping with his other hand that was closed in a fist. It looked awkward. "Your hand?" She asked, reaching out. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing." Ezra snatched his hand back and adjusted his backpack to hang from the "injured" side and began to scoop the food into it with his good hand.

Hera reached out, taking the backpack from him and setting it on the ground. He flinched as she took his hand in hers and then met his eyes. "It's a prosthetic?" she asked, gaze intent. She didn't want to show too much pity for the kid, as that would have undoubtedly made him even more uncomfortable.

He nodded, coloring immediately. To show weakness on the streets was a sure way to get killed or robbed at the very least. How quickly she'd made him caused him to feel intolerably vulnerable and miserable. "It's glitchy," he sighed, looking down at her hands on his. She reminded him of his mother, and that made his heart twist with a pain that he couldn't hide.

"Let me take a look?" She asked.

"If you want." He shrugged like it was no big deal, but his blush had already given him away.

She led him over to the table under the light without comment. He opened the strap on the back of his glove's wrist and tried to wiggle his hand out from it. It wasn't easy because of the shape the hand was locked into, so she reached out gently to help.

It was an old style prosthetic, Hera had seen a few during the war on Ryloth. The metal hand attached at what was left of the boy's scarred palm; she could see that it was a bit too small because it didn't quite match the size of his other hand. It was time for a new one, but obviously he couldn't afford such a luxury.

"Older model, isn't it? Bad servos?"

"Yeah."

"Stay here just a minute." Hera went down a hallway, and Ezra sat at the table, looking back and forth from his backpack, now filled with food, and his ungloved hand. He felt ill at ease, and every cell in his body was telling him to grab his stuff and go. He started to stand up, but didn't and when he got up enough nerve to do it the second time, she was back with a kit of tiny tools.

She selected several small ones and began working.

The whole time, Ezra was quiet and said nothing as his blue eyes watched her movements. When she was done, the hand was able to open and close, but that was all. "The fine mechanics can't be fixed without more specialized parts." Hera told him, watching him move the prosthesis on his own.

He looked up at her with shining eyes. "This is good. T-thank you," he said, glancing down quickly as he tugged the glove back on. He didn't understand this woman's motives at all and was confused. By all rights, she should have called the bucketheads when he'd first ripped her off. He felt guilty for trying to steal from her.

She smiled. "It's no trouble, but you could help me out with something…"

"Sure," he answered quickly, then realized how eager he sounded. "I mean, if I can."

She smiled in response. "You seem like you get around town a lot. Heard of any strange things going on in the area lately?"

"Like what?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Like…Imperial activity," she studied his reaction intently as she said the words, but said nothing else.

Ezra shook his head, suddenly on guard as well. "They seem to be doing what they always do," he shrugged, shifting his eyes away.

"Fair enough," she nodded slowly in response. Ezra stood up quickly, unsure of what to do or say. He walked over to his backpack and slowly latched it and slung it over his shoulder. The amount of food she'd given him was well over the 12 credits he was owed.

Hera gestured toward the ramp. "Kid. If you ever need a meal and I'm in the starport, come by, okay?"

Ezra's blue eyes snapped up to her own. His mouth worked like he was going to say something, but a nod was all that he could manage.

"If you hear anything about the Imperials, please let me know. I will be here for at least three days, and I can pay a little for information. It's not much, but…"

"I'll keep my eyes open." Ezra promised softly.

Her smile shone on him like the warm Lothal sun. "Thanks. Be careful out there, Ezra," she said softly, holding out a hand. They shook hands and when she let his hand go, there were credits in his palm. Twelve, to be exact.

He stood there for long moments, looking into his hand and not believing someone could be so nice without some sort of ulterior motive, like the drunk he'd met last night near the diner. But just like the drunk, she'd not wanted anything. It was confounding. By the time he looked back up at the beautiful green Twi'lek, she was gone, climbing the ladder to the top level of the ship, her leaf-green lekku swinging behind her.

Pocketing the credits, Ezra made his way out of the bay and starport and headed back across town. He normally crashed in one of a few different places. Some were his, and some belonged to acquaintances like Ratchet. Usually he would stay in one a few nights and make sure to move just in case the troopers got too interested. And Ezra did a lot to interest the stormtroopers on a regular basis. Being suspected of things like stealing ration kits, trooper helmets and weapons had put him on the list to be watched.

Tonight, his plan was to hide out in town. He had the old abandoned communications tower outside of town, his parents' old house, which had been boarded up ever since the Empire had come to arrest them, and an area underneath the city to crash in. The area underneath the city connected to the sewer system was a network of tunnels and hidden chambers. Arsen Jax, a friend of his parents who had taken him in after Mira and Ephraim Bridger had been captured, had taught him the complex system of tunnels and chambers. For a few years, they'd used them to run operations against the Imperials on Lothal.

But that had been a long time ago. Arsen was dead, and Ezra had tried to carry on against the Imperials but basic survival took up a lot of time. Too much time, he thought with regret and anger. Arsen wouldn't have approved…so he tried to push the feelings away. The pain of losing Arsen was best left in the past. Better to focus on the now.

He entered the tunnel network from a grating hidden behind a stack of malfunctioning suspensor crates. The crates were located in the yard of one of the warehouses in town; too expensive to fix, they just tossed them here to bake in the hot Lothal sun. They made great cover for the entrance to the sewer.

As he made his way along the tunnel, he found the way in the dark, until he neared his alcove where a small subdued glow greeted him. He circled around the doorway, trying to catch sight of whoever was in his abode. At a flash of silver and purple he relaxed. Sabine. He eased his hand off of his energy slingshot as she turned.

"Too loud, Bridger," she grinned, as she stepped out from behind some crates, one of her Westar blasters in her hand. She holstered it as he came toward her.

"Aw come on. You didn't know it was me." He shook his head, giving her a playful shove as he moved to set his backpack in the corner.

"Yeah, maybe you're getting better," she admitted, then turned completely to face him, and once more he was struck by her beauty. Her silver hair, streaked with purple shone in the light, and her warm brown eyes watched him with a smile. Truthfully, he'd been in love with her the first time he'd laid eyes upon her. They'd met when he'd been stealing a crate of rations from the Imp depot on the other side of town. She'd been escaping Imp custody, but had decided to wreak a bit of havoc on her way out by blowing up a few TIEs. One thing was sure, the girl knew her way around some explosives. Despite Jax's thorough training, he'd learned a great deal from Sabine about the finer points of blowing things up. She was a true artist.

He'd brought her back here after they'd left the TIEs smoking heaps of twisted metal. She'd been in bad shape; her face had been bruised and bleeding and her shoulder had been dislocated. Her clothes had been ripped in a suggestive manner and he tried not to speculate on what most certainly happened with the troopers. Ezra had heard stories of how the Empire treated its prisoners, so he had a pretty good idea what an attractive girl like Sabine, a runaway from the Academy, had been subjected to. The way she startled when he'd touched her to treat her wounds said everything.

But that had been a year ago. After a few weeks she'd healed, she'd gone her own way, but they'd stayed in touch, trusting one another when they couldn't afford to trust anyone else.

And he worried about her. Sabine was a Mandalorian, and she held a grudge against her enemies. She had vowed not to leave Lothal before she'd taken revenge on each trooper who had hurt her. And until she got them all, she had also vowed to make the Imperials pay by disrupting whatever operations she could. Arsen had warned him about the dangers of revenge when he'd seen Ezra struggling with the anger of losing his parents. But Sabine seemed to use hers as a finely honed knife edge.

"Something big's going on with the bucketheads in a few days," she began casually.

"Really?" Ezra went into his backpack and pulled out two meilooruns. Sabine's eyes followed his hand and he tossed her one, knowing she'd catch it easily.

"Yeah. Some higher-up is coming for a visit. Way they tell it, Imperials and troopers are acting like it's the Emperor himself coming here. Where the kriff you get a meiloorun?" Sabine said with surprise. She was well aware they didn't grow on Lothal and were expensive. She took a bite and sighed at the taste. It had been a long time.

"Long story." Ezra bit into his own fruit and sucked its juice from his fingers. "So what do you know about this guy? I mean why in the seven heavens would someone like that be coming to Lothal?" He thought about Hera and what she'd asked him, and suddenly he had a burning need to find out who this Imperial was, just so he could see the beautiful Twi'lek again, and show her that he was more than just a two-bit thief.

"Don't know. All I know is that they call him the Inquisitor. I'd like to just call him dead." She grinned. "Wanna help? The two of us could probably pop this guy and call it a day." Sabine never lacked confidence, that was for sure.

"Sabine. What do you know about this "Inquisitor" person? It might be good to do a little research first before we go to…"

"I know all I need to know about him." She cut him off quickly. "He's an Imperial. I could use the help, Bridger. Way I see it, we could use some of your stuff," here she nodded at his large collection of stolen Imperial helmets and uniforms that he used to sneak into Imp HQ and search for information about his missing parents, "to get close and kill this Impy bastard."

"You know I got your back, but we need to check this out first. You say we've got time, so let me get in there and see what I can find out."

"By yourself?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Probably better that way. I go in there all the time. You can back me up from outside." If he found out anything, he would take it to the Twi'lek. Suddenly, it seemed incredibly important that he do it.

She narrowed her brown eyes at him and thought a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Hey. I been wantin' to ask. When I get off this rock, you coming with me?"

"I wish I could." Ezra finished off the piece of fruit and moved his backpack over to stash some of the food in containers he kept here for that purpose. "But, I can't. I"m…uh waiting for something."

"Waiting for what? There's nothing on this backrocket planet."

"I'm waiting…on my folks." Ezra murmured, looking down into the container where half of his ration bars were now stacked.

"What do you mean?" Sabine asked, turning toward him and slipped off the chair she'd taken. Ezra had never spoken about his family to her, but she wasn't surprised. Close as they were, talking about how things had been like "before" just wasn't done. She didn't talk about her family, nor did she ask about his. Living on the streets had taught them both to focus on now and forget the past.

"The Empire took them away when I was six. I keep thinking that if they're in prison, and they get out from wherever they are, they'll come back here to find me. If I'm not here…we might never see each other again." He glanced up at her, wondering if she would laugh at him. "I'd like to go, but I just can't."

He was surprised, but he also wasn't surprised when she came over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. He knew what she was probably thinking. Ephraim and Mira Bridger were long dead and he was an idiot. She surprised him however as she knelt beside him. "I understand."

"Yeah?" He said not knowing what else to say.

"What time should we go?" she asked, snatching at a ration bar and raising an eyebrow at him. He waved his hand, not minding. He handed her another couple of meilooruns and she tucked them all away for later.

"Tonight," he said thoughtfully. "Why wait? Things always slow down around there at night. We can meet here about 2100, then we'll go from there."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll be back then." She got up and headed for the door.

His eyes followed her until she was gone, then he turned to the uniforms. A lowly cadet from the Lothal's Academy…Yeah, that would be best, he thought. He would be nearly invisible as he made his way around the headquarters to find out everything they needed to know.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is something I wrote a while back that I'm working on finishing up. There are 19 posted chapters and one I'm working on now, so I've decided to get it up on AO3. If you're impatient, the whole thing is on FF, but I will try to put up two chapters a day until it's all posted (up to chapter 19). Hope you're enjoying it!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this! As always I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Chapter 3

"So, what day is **he** coming?"

Kanan threw back his fifth or sixth shot of whiskey as he listened to the two men sitting near him. They were apparently technical officers for the Empire and someone very important was about to show up on Lothal.

"In two days. I think tech will be ready by the time **he** arrives, but he's not gonna be happy with Capital City security. They haven't stationed nearly enough officers here, and I think that's why we can't keep the local insurgents down. Just the other day, someone bombed a bunch of transports at the yard. Two officers were killed. Wonder what **he'll** say about that?"

As they continued complaining about the brass coming to evaluate Lothal, Kanan grimaced at the heated burn that worked its way into his belly. He had been drinking for the past few hours, and was finally getting to the point where he would meander his way back to his room to pass out, or punch someone out…whichever came first. In a few days, he'd have to sober up when he began to run out of money, and look for some sort of job, but he planned to stay drunk at least as long as the money held out. It was better to stay drunk than to think about what had almost happened on Raleesh about half a standard year ago. Things had been bad then, and he was well aware that if he thought too long or too much, things could get bad again.

But continuing listening to these two Imperials drone on about how the Empire was going to increase its presence on this peaceful farming planet made Kanan feel like punching someone. Over the past few years he'd watched the Empire spread over the Outer Rim like a disease, and listening to these two guys drone on made his fists itch.

"Look at that pretty piece of ass…" Both the techs turned their heads to watch a beautiful green Twi'lek enter the bar. "I wonder who owns her? I'd pay good credits for a piece of that."

"Look at that kriffin' Lasat with her!" His companion spat. The tech with the hooked nose shook his head ruefully. "I thought the we'd exterminated all of them. Outer Rim trash. Empire should get rid of the whole lot of them. Wookies too."

At the words, Kanan turned. It was rare to see a Lasat anywhere in the Rim now, after their homeworld had been "cleansed" by the Empire. The purple furred being had green eyes that took in all the bar patrons in an open challenge and a frown that warned them not to kriff with him. Guy had a right to his attitude. Then the Lasat caught his gaze, and he shifted his eyes, to glare at the two humans who were openly ogling the Twi'lek. Out of the corner of his eye, Kanan saw the Twi'lek say something to get her friend's attention before things got ugly. The Lasat huffed angrily before turning back to her and away from the bar trash.

"I hear that most tailheads like it rough." The ugly one said thoughtfully.

"I think I might want to find that out for myself."

Kanan rolled his eyes, and turned back to his drink, which had been refilled. The Ithorian who ran this place was pretty handy behind the bar and Kanan's glass hadn't gone empty yet. He took another belt as the speaker stood up. "Hey…watch this."

Oh kriff, Kanan thought. Nothing good ever happened after those words were uttered.

And the problem with drinking was that you only knew it was too late after it was way too late. Something in Kanan shifted from one side to the other and he stood up, swaying slightly as he turned and followed the speaker. He hadn't even known he'd decided to do it until he was moving across the room shadowing the Imperial officer. He just went with it. The man had just about reached the other side of the room where the Twi'lek and her watchful Lasat sat.

"Got a question for you. Me and my friend sitting over there want to know how much it'll cost for the night. For both of us." The sleemo's teeth showed in a drunken leer.

The green eyes of the Twi'lek woman narrowed just as Kanan reached the speaker and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Huh?" The man turned, and Kanan punched him in the nose, knocking him unconscious. The man went down like a sack of Loth-wheat.

Kanan shook the sting from his hand, and glanced around, to see if the other tech had decided to come to his aid. "How about it? C'mon!" Kanan called in his direction, grinning ferally. After seeing the angry looking human and the furious Lasat, the tech held out both hands as if to say he wasn't interested in the least.

"Thought so." Kanan muttered as he realized pretty quickly that he'd gone too far. These two Imperials could bring a world of hurt down on everyone in this whole bar. Decisively, he stalked to the Imperial, grasping him by the shirt and pulling him in close. "Listen closely. You're gonna take your friend and get the kriff out of here. Your friend passed out and hit his face on a table," he said in a low voice, so that only the two of them heard. "He'll need some medical attention."

The man had a weak mind, and was very easily swayed by the Force Kanan brought to bear upon him. "Sure," he nodded. "We better go…I'll get him to the med center."

Kanan nodded, releasing the Imp's shirt. "Now apologize."

"Sorry," he said softly at first. At Kanan's narrowed gaze, he spoke loud enough for everyone to hear. "Sorry…My friend just got a little too drunk here." The Imp's face scanned the bar, then touched the green Twi'lek's gaze. His face reddened in embarrassment. "Sorry, ma'am."

She glared at him as he grabbed his friend under both arms, and began to pull the man from the bar.

Everyone was staring, but after long moments, nothing happened, so they soon lost interest and went back to their drinks. The Lasat and the Twi'lek still looked thoughtfully at Kanan.

"Sorry." The tall drifter apologized. "They won't be back." His eyes slid to the beautiful Twi'lek, who still seemed surprised. "Have a good night, ma'am." Kanan turned and headed back to the bar, returning to his seat and drink.

"Not a good idea." The Ithorian bartender came over to him, scowling…or at least scowling as much as an Ithorian could. "You might have just caused me a lot of problems."

"Those two? They won't be back. I promise. Guy I put down won't remember, and the other guy is too scared to come back. Trust me." Kanan set a few piles of credits on the bar. "For your trouble. If they do come back tomorrow, just claim you don't know me."

"I don't," Jho replied as he reached out and swiped the credits off the counter.

Kanan responded with a grin, then turned back to polish off his drink.

Just then, the Lasat joined him. "He'll have another." The creature motioned to the bartender and threw a few credits of his own up on the counter.

Kanan glanced over his shoulder with an easy grin. "Thanks."

"No, thank you. She deals with that shit a lot. It gets old after a while."

"Yeah. Sleemos like that are everywhere unfortunately," Kanan said as the bartender filled his glass. "Taking him down was my pleasure."

"Well, my name's Zeb, and I owe you one." The large creature clapped him on the shoulder and held out a hand. Kanan shook it.

"No problem. I'm Kanan Jarrus."

"Nice to meet you. See you around." Zeb gave him a nod as he took the drinks and headed back to his table.

Kanan had sensed a strange tingle in the Force upon meeting the Lasat; however, it faded quickly, washed away by the burn of the alcohol. He had been thinking of leaving earlier, but decided to stay, just in case he WAS wrong and the Imperial techs made another appearance.

And he couldn't help it, but he found himself watching the female Twi'lek and Zeb in the bar mirror. They were sitting at a table behind him and to the right. He kept himself from outright staring at them, but he found that his gaze always returned to them. They met with several beings over the course of the night; however, none stayed very long.

After a time, Kanan slid off the stool and headed in a listing walk toward the small hallway where the freshers were located. When he came out, the green Twi'lek was waiting near the hallway.

"You took a huge risk earlier," she said in the most velvet voice he thought he'd ever heard. Her eyes were beautiful pools of liquid green that seemed to study him.

He shrugged. "I get tired of seeing guys…" here he lowered his voice, "…Imperials…like that shoot their mouths off. I'm afraid I let my anger get the best of me."

She took a sip of the brilliant blue liquid in the glass she held. "Happens a lot, does it?"

"Probably more than I'd like to admit," he said, leaning casually back against the wall near her and absorbing her presence.

"My name's Hera," she offered him a gloved hand.

"Kanan," he replied, shaking it. Her hands were small, but she had a strong grip. "What do you do for a living, Hera?"

"Mostly piloting my ship, hauling cargo and the like. And you?" The way she asked seemed to say that she cared about the answer. He wasn't used to that and it threw him for a second, but he recovered quickly.

"Drinking and fighting, obviously," he smirked, holding his empty hands out as if he couldn't be blamed. "Two of my many talents."

"Obviously," she rolled her eyes playfully, then took a few steps back toward her table.  It was at this point she paused and turned. "Be careful out there, Kanan. The world's full of mouthy Imperials. I'd hate to see something happen to such a handsome face."

His expression must have been priceless because she smiled to herself like a satisfied loth-cat and walked away.

And he wanted to follow her. Force! If she wasn't the most fascinating thing he'd seen in a long time. He wasn't in the habit of looking at people's Force signatures anymore, but it was as if he had absorbed hers as they talked. The Light glowed in her—not enough for her to be Force-sensitive, but stronger than most beings.

He made his way back to the bar, angling his chair so that he could keep her and her friend in his peripheral vision a little better, but it appeared she was leaving. She tipped up her glass, drained it, and turned it upside down on the table. Then she settled the hood of her cloak over her head, hiding her lekku from sight. Finally, she shared a few words with her companion, made her way to the door and exited.

And the argument with himself began. He wanted to follow her, but didn't know how to do it without seeming like just another sleemo for following her out of the bar. It certainly wasn't on his list of great romantic moves. He had just sent another longing glance over his shoulder when a large furry arm slung around his shoulders.

"Alright. Business is over. Time to kick this into high gear. Whatcha say, Kanan?" It was Zeb, who was motioning to the Ithorian for more drinks.

Kanan turned to his new friend with a grin. "I say that you've got some drinking to do to catch up with me, buddy."

"A challenge. Bring me a bottle, Jho-"

* * *

So, the Lasat was the crew on the Twi'lek's small freighter. They were frequent visitors to Lothal, and were in town to pick up a shipment for farmers on Behsan. They'd been together for three years, traveling the Outer Rim transporting various cargo.

Zeb tried his best to outdrink Kanan, but the drifter was more practiced. They went shot for shot for a while, then they slowed down and stayed with Ebla, but the change in pace didn't seem to help either one of them. Finally, knowing that soon the big Lasat would be in a state where he wouldn't make it back to the spaceport, Kanan stood up, paid their bill and settled his arm under the big furball. "C'mon. Let's get you back."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you." Zeb slurred as he returned the arm around the shoulder, then he looked Kanan up and down. "How the kriff you still standing?" A whiff of the strong whiskey they'd been drinking came from the big creature as he spoke.

Kanan grinned. "Lots of practice, my friend. Which bay are you guys in?"

"Ten? Twenty-four? Don't 'member. I'll show you where…"

"Fair enough. Let's go. Wouldn't want your Hera to be mad at me for losing you." The idea of seeing her again was attractive, but he would have helped the Lasat home either way. Zeb had a warrior's soul and sense of honor and, as much as he tried to ignore it, he had to admit that resonated with his own past as a Jedi Padawan. The kid he had been was long gone, but the ghost of the memory wouldn't allow him to just take off on this guy who had been nothing but kind to him.

* * *

Ezra felt his heart thudding in his chest as he entered the quiet spaceport. He skimmed along the shadowed bays, knowing that up above, Sabine was following his progress from the roof. The boy wasn't too sure what the crazy murder droid or the Lasat would do upon seeing him if Hera wasn't around, so Sabine was his backup just in case.

But he had to tell the Twi'lek what he'd found, just an hour before as he lurked around the Imperial Headquarters.

A Jedi.

The Inquisitor was bringing a prisoner to Lothal. A very important prisoner.

A kriffing Jedi!

He ducked into an empty bay as a few troopers walked by on a patrol. When they had passed on, he sped forward, glancing upward to see the flash of a slim foot as Sabine crept along the openings at the top of the bays. When he reached Hera's ship, he paused, gave his shadow a chance to catch up, then entered the bay cautiously.

The ramp was down, and right in the middle of it sat the murderous droid. When it saw him, it warbled angrily, as if asking what he wanted.

Ezra held both hands out, palms up and walked forward slowly. "I'm not here to do anything to bother you or your ship. I just need to speak to Hera."

He heard a firm reply that might have been "no way" from the orange and white astromech.

"I'll wait right here and be quick. I have some information she might be interested in."

The astromech began a string of obscenities, rocking back and forth angrily on its struts.

"Chopper!" There was an annoyed call from inside the ship, just as the astromech extended its shock prod and rotated it, letting out an evil warble.

At the shock prod, Sabine leapt from the top of the bay and landed beside Ezra, one hand brushing the ground to steady her landing and the other extended in front of her. In her fist was one of her Westars, pointed directly at the astromech's central housing. "Stand down, droid," she ordered, just as the green Twi'lek appeared on the cargo ramp.

"Wait. Wait." Ezra reached out and gently lowered her blaster by placing his hand on hers and pushing down. "I just wanted to talk," he called to Hera, "but your droid…"

"Chopper, so help me, if you don't go recharge right now, I'm pulling your kriffing battery." The Twi'lek growled through gritted teeth. The complaining droid dropped the shock prod and rolled away, grumbling. She threw a kick at him as he rolled away.

Hera had obviously been dressed for bed. A dark grey headscarf wrapped her lekku and she wore a pair of soft grey sleep pants and tank. She looked tired as she raised a hand to her forehead and massaged it. "I'm sorry. He's over protective. Please come in."

"What about um…Zeb?" Ezra looked around worriedly.

The tall Mandalorian bodyguard turned her face mask toward Hera. "I'd hate to shoot your Lasat by accident." She said with a smirk in her voice.

"Zeb's not here now." She eyed the stranger for a moment, then shifted her eyes to Ezra. "Please, come in. Both of you will be welcome, and quite safe from my bucket of bolts and Zeb."

She led them inside the ship and up the cargo bay ladder. Then she took them into the living area and gestured to the Dejarik table. "Can I get you anything?" she asked, her eyes shifting to the helmeted figure beside Ezra.

The figure removed its helmet to reveal purple and silver hair, and Hera's eyes widened. She hadn't expected another teenager. The girl's penetrating brown eyes were sharply weighing her. They were eyes that had seen too much, like the boy that sat beside her. They were eyes that pondered Hera's next move so that the Mandalorian could come up with three different ways to counter it. Hera didn't take it personally, realizing that such behavior was an act of survival, but she realized just how dangerous this girl could be if she didn't like you or your motives.

She smiled, hoping the girl would warm over time. "My name's Hera." She glanced toward Ezra briefly, checking, then held her hand out to the older girl. "This is my ship, _The Ghost_."

"Sabine Wren." The girl eyed Hera evenly as she took her hand, then she settled back against the booth, seemingly having decided the Twi'lek wasn't a threat.

"How can I help you, Ezra?" Hera slid into a chair across from them, her eyes resting on the kid as he began to speak.

"After I saw you last, Sabine told me there was some higher-up coming to Lothal…some officer or something called an Inquisitor. You kind of got me thinking about it, so I slipped into the Imperial compound and Sabine…she backed me up outside."

Hera's eyes widened as she leaned forward. "You shouldn't have taken such a risk."

"I'm always sneaking in there." Ezra said, waving a hand.

"If you dress like an Imperial Cadet from the nearby Academy, they never look twice." Sabine added sagely.

"Anyway, I found some info. They're bringing a captured Jedi to Lothal!"

Hera leaned forward, grabbing Ezra's hands. "Ezra. Are…are you sure?" She asked, looking into his eyes.

For a second, he seemed startled by the sudden contact, then he nodded. "They're bringing the Jedi to Lothal to question him…or her…It didn't say a name or if the Jedi was a male or female, just that they were being brought here undercover for questioning, then sent to Mustafar for extermination."

"Oh my gods." Hera breathed, her eyes wide. So this was the information Fulcrum had been looking for. This…this was big. She squeezed Ezra's hands, then let them go. Her eyes skated past Sabine's and caught movement in the doorway.

The brawler from the bar stood there, supporting an obviously inebriated Zeb. Kanan's stunned blue-green eyes regarded her with surprise, and his mouth moved, but no words came out. He'd obviously just heard what Ezra had said about the Jedi.

 _Oh kriff_ , she thought, just as she heard the click of the safety coming off of Sabine's blasters.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Woah, easy." Kanan said softly. He had apparently found his voice as he held up his free hand toward the girl who had two blasters pointed at him.

She narrowed her eyes at him and gritted her teeth in response.

"Sabine…" Ezra began gently, but it seemed like she didn't hear him. "It's okay."

Kanan tried humor. "Can I, at least, put the Lasat down before you shoot me? He's not exactly light, and my shoulder's had about all it can take."

Sabine tracked Kanan with her blasters as he slowly moved across the room and lowered Zeb into a chair.

"I know him." Ezra said again softly to Sabine, trying his best to reach her. "And the Lasat's drunk. Not a threat." As he looked into her eyes, he sensed that she finally heard him through the pounding of the blood in her ears. He also noticed a slight shake to her hand that no one else could have seen. She'd obviously been terribly startled by the sudden appearance of Kanan and the Lasat.

"Nobody's shooting anyone." Hera said with definitiveness, trying to take control of the situation without sounding nervous.

Slowly, Sabine lowered her blasters. "Just want the new arrivals to know where we stand."

Kanan, who was turning back around to find if he would be shot or not, saluted slowly. "Loud and clear, ma'am."

Sabine seated her Westars in their holsters and took a seat again.

"Sorry." Ezra began. "It's…uh…kinda hard to know who to trust. I told Sabine about Zeb, and…"

"You don't have to explain anything to them," Sabine said, a hostile note to her voice.

"She's right. You don't." Hera said, ignoring the teenager's attitude, then sitting down and motioning to Kanan to take the extra chair. Not sure of what he'd heard, she didn't want to let him out of her sight until she was sure he was trustworthy. He was no friend to Imperials; his actions in the bar had been clear, but if what Ezra said was true, they couldn't afford to have anyone else find out about this until they were ready to move on it.

"So…I heard something about a Jedi." Kanan began. "I thought the Empire had killed all of them. They haven't found a Jedi in how long…two standard years?" Was there really a Jedi? He found it impossible to believe, but he couldn't deny that a part of him…a large part of him wanted there to be one. What if it was a Jedi that he or his master had known? He knew well what a trip to Mustafar would mean.

Hera nodded. "I know, but Ezra says they're bringing one here for questioning," she said thoughtfully.

There was a long pause then both Kanan and Sabine spoke at once. "Why Lothal?" They eyed each other, and Kanan gave the moody girl a tight smile, which she unexpectedly returned. She was quick, he'd give her that. He went on. "Why not make the jump directly to Mustafar?"

"I don't know." Hera replied, studying the blue-green gleam of his eyes as he considered possibilities far away. "Maybe Lothal was closer? If the prisoner had sensitive information, maybe they needed this Inquisitor person to question the Jedi as soon as possible?" It didn't quite ring true to her either.

"The display didn't say." Ezra added. "But it's a **Jedi**. We can't just leave them to die, right? Didn't you want to know what the Empire's up to? Now we know. We HAVE to do something."

Kanan took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. "Just how do you propose to get a Jedi out of an Imperial facility?"

"We know what it looks like inside." Ezra said. "Sabine and I can draw a map. I have some Imperial academy uniforms, too. That's how I went inside before."

Kanan crossed his arms over his chest, and glanced to Hera. He didn't like the idea. Surely she would veto this.

"Freeing a Jedi from an Imperial facility…" Hera began, trailing off.

"…Is going to be incredibly dangerous." Kanan finished. He felt pummeled by the conflicting feelings. "It's most likely a trap, and whoever goes in most likely won't come out again." A Twi'lek, a Lasat and two kids were nothing in the shadow of the Empire. The addition of a half-trained Padawan would be no help. "Look. Even if this is true, there's nothing you can do. It's most likely a plan to trap dissidents or would be rebels."

"But…" Ezra began, "we have to do something. What if…"

"Yeah. See how you feel about that when you're spending fifty years in an Imperial prison, kid," Kanan said rubbing his face with both of his hands. He'd had too much to drink to even be considering this. Ezra looked away, a pained look on his face.

Sabine, who had been quietly watching the discussion, spoke for the first time in a while. "If the Empire wants to question this Jedi, that's enough for me to want to stop it."

"At the cost of your life?" Kanan asked, looking up wearily.

"At least **I** die in battle. Facing my enemy." She replied, meeting Kanan's gaze. _Unlike you_ , she implied. Dismissively, she shifted her eyes to Hera. "If you go, I'm in. If you don't, I'll go on my own."

"I'm in too," Ezra said.

The Captain weighed their words and nodded. "Okay. Everyone's had their say. It's late. Sabine and Ezra…is there anywhere you need to be before tomorrow morning?" Both of the teens shook their head no. "Okay, you can all bunk here for the night, we've got plenty of room. I need time to consider all of this, and include Zeb on any decisions," she glanced at the Lasat who had his head pillowed on his chest, snoring lightly. "Kanan. Can you help me by getting him to his room while I get Sabine and Ezra settled?" She gestured toward the Lasat's quarters.

"Sure." Kanan got up and slung the Lasat's arm around his shoulders again. He mumbled something incomprehensible and Kanan couldn't help but smile. "Time to get to bed, buddy."

Once he was done with wrestling the Lasat out of his larger pieces of armor and into his bunk, he came back out into the silent hallway. He waited a second, thinking that Hera was in another one of the crew quarters, but he sensed her presence behind him, in the cockpit.

He made his way to the front and entered where Hera sat looking up at the span of sky above them. Tiny stars sparkled like ice chips in the field of space above them. "Sometimes I just want to take the _Ghost_ and fly away, as far from the Empire as I can get, you know?"

"I've had that feeling before." Kanan admitted, coming around to sit in the co-pilot's seat.

"But then…I think about the lives the Empire destroys…every day. Someone has to do something…I have to do something." It was as if Lothal's moon had decided to park itself right above the _Ghost_ , just to highlight her face in moonlight, he thought as he watched her speak. "Could they really have a Jedi?" She shifted her eyes to his. "After so long?"

"Anything's possible, but it's the Empire. It's just too big. What can you do? Even if it is a Jedi, what could all of us do against them? A Twi'lek, a Lasat, a drifter and two kids. Sounds like the beginning of a bad joke." He ran a hand through his hair, loosening strands from his nerf tail.

"It sounds like the beginning of a rebellion to me," she said softly.

He looked up at her through the loose strands of hair. "You're crazy, you know that?"

She nodded seriously, turning her chair to his. "Probably. So. What about it?" she asked, reaching out to take his hand in both of hers. She could feel his callused fingers against her own.

"Yeah, um…I'm not much of a hero," he said with a self-depreciating laugh. Yet, she noticed he looked down at her smaller hand in his own as if hungry for the contact.

"Okay, but your actions earlier tonight say something completely different." She let her comment hang there, in the air between them.

"Yeah, but I get in barfights all the time. Getting drunk and fighting is a natural state for me." He let his hand slip from hers. This was crazy, he thought. He shouldn't even be considering this.

"Uh-huh," she replied, examining his eyes. Long moments passed, and then she spoke softly. "Those kids. Homeless like they are. I don't know their stories, but I know one thing. The Empire is to blame for it in some way, shape or form. I've seen these types of kids on every planet we stop on. Where are their parents, huh?"

"I don't know," he murmured, shifting uncomfortably in his seat, thinking of his own time on the streets, when he'd been a scared kid in a world that he didn't understand. "But what difference can five people make?"

She didn't answer his question, but stood and walked to the doorway. "Stay tonight. You'll have to bunk with Zeb. That ok?"

He nodded with a tired smile. She returned it, then thought for a moment. "Hey, let me ask a question. If you're such a bad person, why would you stop to bring Zeb home from the bar?"

Kanan stood up, on the defensive again. "He was drunk. Drunk as seven hells. What did you expect me to do?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Try again."

"Honestly, I just wanted another chance to talk to you. Other than that, I would have left him in the gutter," Kanan said, slightly flustered. "No matter what you want me to be, I'm not a hero, Captain Hera. Not for a long…long time now." His face colored at his accidental admission, and he dropped his gaze.

"What do you mean?" she asked softly, stepping forward to place a hand on his upper arm. He didn't answer. She sensed layers of secrets, but they were secrets that Kanan Jarrus was going to keep for now.

"How do you know the kid, Kanan?"

"He had a . . . misunderstanding with an Aqualish. I um…sort of helped out. Like a translator," he lied, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, knowing he was caught.

"Right. Because translator is a 'natural state for you' as well." She raised an eyebrow, as they moved out into the hallway.

He said nothing, but his eyes dared to dart to her face for a moment.

She squeezed his arm gently, then let it go and stepped back. "Thanks, Kanan, for setting me straight on all of that. I'll see you in the morning."

And she was gone. He stood, stupidly staring at her door, then shaking his head, he entered into the room where he'd put Zeb to bed. The Lasat's snoring didn't bother Kanan in the slightest as he crawled to the top bunk, underneath the spare blanket and fell asleep.

* * *

Ezra was dozing fitfully when he heard the slight knock at his door. Something about the knock said Sabine; even though he didn't know how he knew it, he was sure of it.

"Come in," he called softly.

It was the Mandalorian. She was dressed in the black body suit she wore underneath her armor, the larger pieces of armor were in her arms. "Can't sleep," she murmured, not looking at him. She was obviously blushing as her lithe form moved closer to the bed where Ezra was.

Ezra sat up fully. "Yeah. I understand." It was all he had to say. She met his eyes for long moments, and Ezra could feel her thankfulness, like the gleam of a small sun.

He knew Sabine didn't sleep well most of the time if she was somewhere she didn't feel safe. He wasn't sure if she was still having the nightmares about the night she was attacked, but he felt she probably was. The dark circles he often saw shadowing her eyes were good evidence.

And right now, she looked about as comfortable as a wet Loth-cat. "Take the bottom bunk," he said casually as he stood up and stretched. He knew she'd be more comfortable there because she'd be in a better position to defend herself than she would on the top bunk. Knowing how she would assess a situation had become second nature to him.

"Sorry," she mumbled as she dropped her armor and climbed into the bed, pulling the warm blanket around herself.

He could sense the way the tension was easing from her, and he dared reach out to give her shoulder a playful shove, but it ended up being much gentler, so she didn't startle. "No problem. Okay?"

Her liquid brown eyes stared up at him from beneath her fall of silver hair. "Okay," she breathed. The coiled spring that she was began to ease at his touch. Ezra had realized pretty quickly that he seemed to have a special ability to calm the angry girl. It was the same skill that had served him well during his time on the streets.

"Okay," he said again, just standing and not willing to break the contact between them. Again, he felt the fierce bond between them and realized once more how much he loved her.

"I don't understand something." She said as she settled under the blanket, casting another glance at him. "Why did she ask us to stay the night? I mean, aren't we just Loth-rat trash to her?" she raised an eyebrow.

"No, I don't think she sees us like that." Ezra said. "She wants to fight the Empire,"

"But asking us to stay the night…she doesn't trust us out there, on the street. Maybe she thinks we'd turn her in." Sabine mused.

"You'd be just as careful if the situation was reversed." Ezra pointed out. "And she's nice. Hera gave me those ration bars and Meilooruns."

"You got a good feeling about her." It wasn't a question, but Ezra nodded anyway. "Okay." Sabine said. "If you trust her, I trust her too."

Ezra nodded. "Not sure about the Zeb guy or that droid, but I think she'll keep them in line."

Sabine nodded, unable to stifle a yawn. "I'd hate to have to shoot either of them."

He looked down at her eyes, which had drifted closed and he fought the urge to reach out and brush a strand of silver hair out of her face. Instead, he climbed into the top bunk. "Get some sleep, Sabine."

A sleepy, wordless murmur was his only reply.

* * *

_He was thirteen again, following his master through one of the Jedi meditation gardens. The Coruscanti sun was hot, warming the flowers of the garden and causing their scents to float on the early summer air. Chalactan roses and Alderaanian sunflowers nodded on heavy stems, as if they were napping in the warm air._

_This was a forgotten memory from long ago._

_He'd only been Depa Billaba's Padawan a short while. He'd come to know that she was a kind Jedi Master, with a wry sense of humor and an ability to see things from many different points of view. She always seemed to understand him, and even though she was tough on him, he never doubted that her first goal was to make him the best Jedi Master he could be._

_"_ _Padawan. Take a seat." She'd found the area she preferred, a grassy section of flat ground under some sort of tall leafy tree, surrounded by the roses and sunflowers that seemed to be the main plants in bloom now._

_"_ _Yes, Master." He knelt, tucking his feet underneath him. He found himself pushing strands of his unruly damp brown hair behind his ear nervously. She had broken off his saber lesson abruptly, earlier in the day because he'd been doing badly, unable to master the complicated technique she'd been instructing him in. He'd been angry, frustrated at his lack of progress when she'd suddenly switched off her training saber. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet for a moment, then she gathered herself and smiled warmly. "I do not think any further training will benefit us today," she'd said softly. He'd looked up with surprise, and she'd instructed him to change and meet her in the meditation garden in an hour._

_He'd opened his mouth to protest. "I just need a little longer and I'll have it," he'd pleaded before the affectionate look in her eyes stopped his protestations. She wasn't upset with him over his failure to grasp the advanced saber technique, he realized as she laid her hand on his shoulder._

_"_ _Do as I ask, Padawan," she said simply._

_So, he'd followed her instructions, as he always did._

_"_ _I will practice what you have taught me," he began as they sat, intending to apologize again for his performance in the training room._

_She tilted her head sideways with a small frown. "I know you will, and you will master the saber technique, as hard as you practice. I am sorry for pushing you too fast. Sometimes I find I ask too much from you too soon, and I forget you're still very young to be a Padawan..." she trailed off, her eyes far away._

_"_ _No, Master, you are training me well." He waited for her to go on, but she didn't. There was a strange feeling around her today, a sort of sadness that he didn't understand. He inclined his head, looking at the soft green grass underneath his knees and hearing a cool breeze rustle the leaves of a tree above them._

_"_ _I worry about you, Caleb." Her voice was a thick whisper, the voice of a sleepwalker. He looked up at her and could see her eyes were still far away. The Force increased around them, subtly at first, then Caleb let out a soft gasp as tiny stones and pebbles in the grass around them began to rise. "Being alone…is not a good path for you."_

_"_ _Master," he whispered. "I'm not alone." He hadn't been alone as far back as he remembered. He'd always lived in the temple, surrounded by Jedi Masters and younglings. What was she talking about? And what strange thing was happening in the Force? He glanced around him to see if anyone had noticed, yet the garden was mostly empty at this hour._

_She didn't answer him. "Things will not always be like they are now, and you must be ready for change. There is a shadow coming…" Her head dropped a little and her eyes narrowed, the way they had before combat on Kardoa._

_"_ _Master? I'm afraid I do not understand." Caleb replied, not knowing what he should do. He watched a smooth black stone rise up and rotate in the air before his eyes. The Force began to surge; the air became thick with its power. He got to his feet thinking he would run for help. Perhaps Master Yoda…_

_There were little pinging noises as the stones fell back to earth, and he turned. Master Billaba sat there, blinking in the bright sunlight as if it dazzled her eyes. "Caleb?" she asked._

_He knelt beside her. "What happened?" Her eyes focused more on him as the Force left her._

_"_ _A Force vision," she murmured, reaching a hand to her forehead with a wince of pain._

_"_ _A vision? What did you see?" Caleb asked, sitting back on his heels, but staying near, in case she needed him._

_Master Billaba shook her head. "I cannot say for certain. I saw many confusing things…" She focused on him and the look of worry on his features. "I am sorry to have troubled you."_

_"_ _No, it's okay. I never had a vision before, but we were taught by Master Yoda about them."_

_She nodded. "Force visions are often tricky things. They often do not come to pass the way one thinks they will. They require much meditation and study, and even then, they may not be fully understood." Her face showed concern for him and she reached up to place her hand on his head and ruffle his hair, an affectionate gesture that many Jedi masters would shun as indicating attachment . "But I can see my Padawan is tired. We have been working very hard on those saber-forms and a break is in order. We may be sent to the fighting on Mygeeto, so you should research what you can. If we are called to go, I expect a full report en route..."_

Kanan awoke looking at the ceiling, his heart thudding. The Force had tried to warn them of what was to come, but neither of them had understood back then. There had been too many distractions, with the last battles of the Clone Wars, and he had not thought of that day since it happened. If she was troubled by the vision, she gave no sign of it…at least until Kaller, when she'd warned him that things might change and he should not grow too attached to life as it was. Then she'd died. For nothing.

He scrubbed his face with his hands, feeling the tracks of tears. The whole time in the dream-memory, he'd been childishly hoping that things would turn out differently. But nothing would ever turn out differently. She was gone, dead in the mud of Kaller, and no dream would bring her back.

The anger writhed within him, but he shoved it away. He had little experience dealing with it because he ran every time it reared its ugly head. The Jedi Order had not equipped him to deal with anger like this, so he ran from it. He ran from planet to planet. He ran to women to forget and he ran from women who got too close. He ran to booze, or something harder, depending on how violently the past returned to haunt him. His very soul ached from running.

_Being alone…is not a good path for you._

_Yeah? No shit_ , he thought, as he slid off of the bunk to the floor. He stood there in the darkness, running a hand through his shoulder length brown hair. _And just how do you recommend we fix this problem?_ he asked the empty room silently. Maybe he should just go out there and admit to his past. How would that turn out? He was only too aware of how the lure of credits could turn someone you thought was a friend into an enemy. And true friends were worse. He'd only had one, maybe two he could count since Order 66. And he'd left both of them for their own protection. He would only bring the Empire down on them, and the penalty for sheltering a Jedi was death. He had enough guilt to carry already.

No. To be what he was—a broken Padawan—was to be alone. It was better that way, no matter what some forgotten memory was trying to tell him.

But still, that didn't mean he couldn't help these people before he disappeared again. There was something about Hera, the Lasat and the kids. A luminous quality in the Force that he'd noticed last night when they'd all been together. He'd help them before he put this planet behind him. Maybe he could keep them from being killed.

He found his shirt, and pulled it back on. It was an easy matter to slip out of the room, leaving the Lasat still snoring. He regarded the face in the fresher's mirror as he tied his hair back. He looked older. Nothing like revisiting your thirteen year old self to remind you of how the years were slipping by, he thought sarcastically. Splashing water on his face and rinsing his mouth was the best he could do without a toothbrush and a clean set of clothes; he'd left all of that back at his room in town. When he stepped out, and saw a flash of green in the kitchen area, and he knew Hera was awake.

She was just coming to sit down at the Dejarik table. "If you need something for your head, I left it by the caf machine." She gestured to the kitchen with a knowing smile.

He dry-swallowed three of the tablets, then poured himself a cup of black caf with sugar, and returned to the table to sit beside her. Taking an experimental sip, he realized that it was the best caf he'd had in a while.

"Hera. Whatever this is, I'm in," he watched her, hoping she'd smile and he was not disappointed.

"Yeah? What convinced you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your caf." He deadpanned immediately. "Best in the Outer Rim. Plus…the excitement of almost getting shot last night is a rush I just gotta experience again."

"Yeah. Little Mandalorian's wound a bit tight, isn't she?" Hera smiled, taking another sip of her caf.

"Smart though. And fearless. Maybe too fearless," he replied thoughtfully.

They sat in companionable silence for long moments, before he spoke again.

"I'm Kanan Jarrus," he said softly. "If we're gonna fight the Empire together, you deserve more than just my first name."

"Hera Syndulla," she extended a hand. She was pleased to find he was just as charming as he'd been the night before. There was something different about him, though. A seriousness that she hadn't sensed until their conversation in the cockpit. Now he seemed more sure of himself and willing to sign on for this.

As they were shaking hands, Ezra came out of one of the crew quarters. His hair stuck up in an inky mess of waves, and he tried to smooth it down as he came out, blinking sleepily.

"Hey, kid." Kanan said. "Sleep ok?"

Ezra shook his head no and stifled a yawn. "Sabine. She sorta kept me up."

Kanan and Hera shared a look, then they looked back at Ezra.

"She doesn't sleep well, sometimes…so I let her bunk with me."

Kanan and Hera's eyes went wide, and Ezra immediately became flustered. "NO. I mean…no…it's not like that. She took the bottom bunk and I took the top one. We're not…we're not together or anything…just friends."

"Sit down. I'll get you something to eat." Hera said as she slid out of the booth. When she was out of Ezra's eyesight, she gave Kanan a look with a raised eyebrow, as if requesting that he check out this story.

"How long have you known her?" Kanan asked casually.

"About a year. She…had some trouble with some troopers and was injured. I let her stay with me while she healed up. We kinda look out for each other, you know?" He looked up as Hera returned and put a glass of blue milk down, along with a bowl of fresh fruit.

"Space waffles ok?" Hera asked, laying a hand on Ezra's shoulder.

He nodded, then shifted his gaze back to Kanan. "Sabine's really a good person. I know she didn't make the best…the best first impression, but she just has some trust issues, that's all. Don't take that stuff last night personally."

"Oh, don't worry." Kanan nodded. "Not the first time I've been drawn down on and it probably won't be the last." Hera had sat down a plate of space waffles while they talked, and Kanan watched as the skinny kid began to eat. Ezra began to dig into the pile of space waffles like he'd never eaten breakfast before.

"Sabine's really good at planning an op. She was in the Imperial Academy, and knows their methods. I've learned almost as much from her as I learned from Arsen."

Ezra was obviously at ease with the two of them, enough to open up a little, and Kanan didn't want to miss the chance of learning more about this kid he was going to be working with. "Who was he?" Kanan asked.

"Arsen Jax? He was…"

"Wait-you knew Arsen Jax?" Hera asked, setting down a plate of waffles for herself and Kanan.

"Yeah." Ezra nodded. "He…he took me in a couple of years after my parents…went away." There was a pained look on Ezra's face that made Hera frown.

Hera covered Ezra's hand with her own. "Ezra…where are they? Your parents…"

He looked from his plate of waffles and up to her liquid green eyes. "The Empire took them. They were trying to work with Arsen and start a rebellion on Lothal. I don't know if they were…execu…executed or…or what…" There was a sudden shine of tears in his eyes and he looked down, embarrassed.

Hera wrapped her arm around Ezra and pulled him close. "I'm sorry." Her eyes met Kanan's over Ezra's bowed head, and they shared a look of sympathy for the teenager. No wonder Ezra had agreed to help so quickly, she thought.

"Arsen Jax was a Lothalian revolutionary." Hera said to Kanan in explanation. "He was active for about five years or so, but then...he went dark." If Ezra knew what happened to him, this was information that Fulcrum would be interested in.

"Because he died. The Imperials killed him," Ezra murmured. "I'm not even sure they knew who it was they killed because they never put it on the holonet. There wasn't…much left to bury."

Both Hera and Kanan were struggling to say something when Zeb exited his room. "Karabast, Kanan!" he groaned, "How are you even eating breakfast? Don't trust him. He can't be human, Hera."

"It's a gift," Kanan replied with a grin.

Hera smiled to herself. "There's something for your headache by the caf machine, Zeb."

"Thanks, Hera." Zeb walked by the three of them sitting at the table and mumbled, "I'm not even going to ask why the kid is here until I've had a cup. Or two."

Ezra's eyes flitted to Hera nervously, and she placed a hand on his arm. "Don't worry," she said with a soft laugh.

After a few moments, Zeb returned and collapsed into a seat. He took several sips from his cup before he sighed deeply, then looked up. "Ok. Spring it on me," he said.

"Zeb. You remember Ezra?" Hera began.

"Thieving Loth-rat, yeah." Zeb snorted, casting an eye toward the kid.

"No. He is the key to what Fulcrum sent us here for." The Twi'lek said meaningfully.

"Seriously? A Loth-rat?" Zeb's eyebrow went up, along with his estimation of the kid. He reached over and slapped Ezra on the shoulder. "Heh, heh. Just kiddin' kid."

"Ezra and his friend Sabine found out…"

"Wait…that Mandalorian girl from last night?"

"Yeah." Hera sighed with frustration, trying to get out what she wanted to tell him without any more interruptions. "They found out that a captured Jedi is being brought to Lothal." She sat back to see the impact her words would have.

"A Jedi." Zeb said, stunned. He sat up straight, fur bristling. "We're going in, right?"

Hera nodded. "Ezra and Sabine have both been in the complex. They're familiar with the layout. I think we could do it, if you're in."

"A chance to crush some bucketheads? You bet." Zeb smiled at Ezra, then reached out to tousle his unruly hair. "Kanan, you in on this?"

"Yeah, nothing better to do," he admitted. "Captain Hera is very convincing."

"Hey, who do I have to kill to get some caf?" Sabine was standing in the hallway, looking around at them and attempting to look fierce.

"In the kitchen. Once you and Zeb have woken up a little, we'll figure out a plan." Hera said.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the great comments so far. 
> 
> Still having fun? I'd love to hear what your favorite part was! You guys make the process of writing worth all the hard work.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi everyone. Here's the newest chapter. Warnings: Some sleemos talk trash about Sabine (most of the bad language is cursing Star Wars style, but a few real world ones too). Kanan goes all protective and lays a smackdown on the sleemos. Later, Ezra shares more details with Kanan about the night Sabine was sexually assaulted, but he wasn't actually there so the details are not horribly explicit ones. If you want to skip, just stop reading at the part where Kanan asks Ezra what really happened with the stormtroopers and Sabine. My next chapter should be more of an upper, but I can't promise... As always, I'd love to hear from my readers!

Chapter 5

"You know, you're taking a big chance." Kanan said, leaning against the cargo bay door and glancing over to Hera, who was watching Sabine and Zeb leave together. According to Sabine, she had a quantity of explosives saved up at her place that would perfect for a distraction. Zeb and Sabine were supposed to go and retrieve them, as well as purchase some other items on Hera's list.

"Really? How so?" She tilted her head as she looked up at him.

"If they fight, I think that girl might give your Lasat a run for his money." Kanan said with a wry twist of his mouth. "Let's hope they can get along with each other."

"You might be surprised." Hera replied. "I'll admit they're both a little rough around the edges, but I think it will work out alright."

"You're a good judge of people, huh?"

"Usually."

"For the record, I still think this whole thing is a big risk." Kanan frowned as he returned his eyes to the doorway and the spaceport beyond. "We're going to have to be very careful."

"So why not walk away?" There was a slight smile on her face.

He took a minute to take her in. It was the first time he'd seen her in the light of day, and her green skin seemed to glow. She was dressed in pilot's gear, very different from the college students and barflies he was used to. And he felt inexplicably drawn to her. Without even thinking, he used the Force to look at her. She was not Force sensitive, but the glow of the Light was in her. It was as beautiful as her physical form, maybe even more so.

Hera stood there a moment, looking up at him as his eyes unfocused and seemed to look far away. "Kanan?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm.

He blinked rapidly, and then focused on her face. "Oh, sorry. Um…what were you saying?"

"I said, why not walk away from this if you think it's a bad idea?"

"My whole life's been filled with bad ideas," he said, shrugging. "Why change now?" She rolled her eyes and then he went on, more seriously. "You mean what you say. You really do want to fight the Empire, for the right reasons. A long time ago, I cared about doing the right thing for the right reasons." He smiled self-consciously as he looked away, unable to bear her intense gaze for long. "You make me remember how that used to feel."

Now, she really was intrigued. "I get the feeling there's a lot more to you than you let on." She leaned in, realizing suddenly how close he was.

"You make me wish there was." He took a deep breath as he leaned in as well. He was about to make a move and kiss her when he heard Ezra's feet going ping, ping, ping down the ladder into the cargo bay.

Both Kanan and Hera closed their eyes for a moment, then smiled at each other as they stepped back and turned to Ezra.

He'd washed up and looked even younger, if that was possible, Hera thought. At first, she'd pegged him at about twelve, but now was pretty sure he was more like 14 or 15. It reminded her of how little she knew about the kid. _I know enough_ , she told herself. He didn't have to come back but he did. It said a lot. And Kanan. He could have left at any time, but he'd stayed. She'd watched him that morning, as they planned the raid, and realized that somewhere he had to have been a solider somewhere. The way he'd pointed out errors in their strategy and weak points in the Imperial defenses, along with the very terms he used said it. Even the way he walked said there was more to him than meets the eye. It was clear that he didn't want to discuss it; however, so she wouldn't press. Would Kanan join the rebellion? She wondered.

"You ready, kid?" Kanan asked. Ezra nodded. "We'll be back by mid-morning, Hera." The plan was for Kanan and Ezra to pick up the Imperial uniforms and anything else Ezra thought they might need, then they would return to the Ghost. Hera was staying to talk to her "contact." Although the Twi'lek hadn't mentioned it, Kanan knew that she'd split them up to see how they worked together before they got out on a mission, as well as give her time to contact whoever it was she got her intel from.

"Careful out there," she offered, watching them depart.

Ezra and Kanan made their way out into the spaceport. "I need to pick up my bag, then we can head to your…'alcove,' you called it?"

Ezra nodded. "I got a comm this morning from a friend of mine. There's something I need to pick up too. Want me to meet you back somewhere?"

Kanan raised an eyebrow. A nudge in the Force told him that was a bad idea. "Ezra…"

"Or, we could go together, I guess." Ezra shrugged. He'd not really wanted to drag Kanan to Ratchet's place, but he supposed it wouldn't be a problem. Hopefully they wouldn't be there long anyway.

They arrived at Kanan's hotel after a few minutes' walk. The two of them rode the creaky lift up to the fifth floor and walked down the dark hallway to one of the rooms.

It was drab. The walls were a dark grey, and the floor had some sort of tiling on it in an equally dark color. There was a slim window that admitted little light, and the whole place reminded Ezra of a dark cave. "Nice place…for a funeral." Ezra said, looking around.

Kanan looked up at him, a smile twisting his lips. "Yeah, uh, you don't know the half of it, kid."

As the drifter gathered a few things into his bag, Ezra noticed the empty liquor bottles on the rickety table by the bed. They didn't surprise him; today was the only day he'd seen the drifter sober and he wondered idly how long it would last. The guy must have his reasons, Ezra thought, without judgement. With the Empire, there was plenty of trouble to go around and people did what they could to cope.

He wasn't sure where it came from, but there was a sadness he felt, sitting on the bed and looking around at the depressed surroundings. It was something that Ezra felt in the air, absorbed from the walls or maybe the bed that he sat on. He didn't know if it was the drifter's sadness or the sadness from the room's many tenants that permeated him, he just knew he would be happier when they were gone from here.

Kanan gave him a strange look when he exited the bathroom. Apparently, he'd taken a moment to clean up; his facial hair was neater and he'd retied his nerf tail. "You alright, kid?" he asked, tentatively.

"Yeah." Ezra stood up, waiting as Kanan tossed a toothbrush and comb in his mostly empty knapsack. "You travel kinda light," he noticed.

"Less to weigh me down. I'm on the move a lot." Kanan said casually. "C'mon, let's get out of here." They left the room and headed downstairs. Ezra was the first into the doorway, and Kanan came next. The boy looked up as he saw a droid fly low, over the hotel. It was black, with three "eyes" and pincers hanging down. It was an unusual sight in the city.

Kanan pulled back on Ezra's shoulder, only glancing up once. "Wait," He murmured, then looked after the droid, making a pretense of trying to decide which way to go, but the droid was flying back over the city away from the hotel. It looked like it was running a grid pattern of some sort.

"What was that?" Ezra said, noticing the change in Kanan's demeanor immediately.

"Nothing good." Kanan said under his breath as he placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder and guided him in the opposite direction.

"What do you think it was…?"

"Later." Kanan warned. Ezra took the hint, and made a mental note to ask him about it later. "Which way?"

"Make a right at the next street." Ezra took the lead and he and Kanan made their way closer to the warehouse district. Slowly, the further away they got from the center of town, the more his tension eased.

At the end of the fourth street they went down, Ezra stopped in front of a faded blue door. "This guy we're going to see…his name's Ratchet. He's the local mech-head around here, and I gotta get something from him for some…uh…some tech I have."

"Okay." Kanan followed Ezra into the dark hallway. "Nice place…for a funeral." He quipped. Ezra glanced back over his shoulder with a roll of his eyes, and Kanan smirked back at him and clapped him on the shoulder. There were apartments inside the old building, and Ezra walked to the end of the hallway and knocked.

"It's me." Ezra said into the gap between the door and the frame.

After several long moments, the door opened to a short, skinny man in his mid-20's. Kanan could tell he was a user, due to the bad skin, bloodshot eyes and generally unkempt appearance. He seemed jumpy as well, a sure sign that he'd run out of whatever his drug of choice was. "Ezra. Right on time. Who's this?" He squinted as he looked up at Kanan.

"Friend of mine." Ezra said, not introducing them on purpose. "I got your message."

"Yeah, come on in..." Ratchet opened the door to admit Ezra and Kanan.

Kanan glanced around. There was very little furniture in the dirty apartment. The conservator in the tiny kitchen had more dents and chipped paint than he could count. The couch, a violent shade of orange and filthy, was shoved up against one wall. There were only two small windows, high up that admitted only a dirty shaft of sunlight. There was another door past the couch, which he assumed went to the outside of the building where a rickety fire escape hung.

He turned to keep his eyes on the Ryll addict. Ratchet seemed harmless enough, but it always paid to be careful. The mech-head was starting to hurt; withdrawal from the drug was easy to sense not only from the shakes but the anxiety Kanan was sensing as he pulled out a box of servos.

"Hey, it's working better. What did you do?" Ratchet pushed hair back from his sweaty forehead as he got ready to work.

"Somebody I met worked on it a little. She said the same thing about the servomotors." Ezra glanced to Kanan nervously, then back down as he worked the black glove off of his hand.

Kanan managed to keep his face expressionless when he realized what was going on. He saw the prosthesis, and his heart hurt for the kid. Like Ezra didn't have enough problems to deal with; it seemed the universe had to pile on more. The damage was pretty severe; the kid had lost all of his fingers, and part of his palm. He still had his thumb, but it was scarred as well. It looked like an explosives injury, but Kanan couldn't be sure. It was hard not to feel sad for the boy.

Another nervous glance from the kid's blue eyes. Kanan remained where he was, leaning against the wall, but he gave Ezra a reassuring smile, as if this was no big thing.

Ratchet had disabled and removed two of the servos, and he was finding that his hands were shaking too much to fit the new, more delicate parts together. "Kriffin' banthashit," he cursed under his breath. As he reached for a different tool, there was a knock at the door. Ezra's eyes shifted to the addict's, asking a silent question. "They're just making a delivery; my hands aren't worth shit right now anyway."

Ratchet headed for the door as Kanan watched, face expressionless. Ezra removed his hand from the workbench, letting it drop to his side. He obviously felt uncomfortable and Kanan adjusted his blaster on his hip, his feeling of unease also increasing.

"Hey Habu, right on time." They shook hands in a complicated series of gestures. "Who's this with you?"

"Griff." Habu said, as he strolled into Ratchet's dump of an apartment. "Look at what we got here. Bridger…been lookin' for you."

"Don't know why. I don't have any business with you." Ezra eyed him warily. Habu and Griff were two of the Wendigo's runners; they were older, in their 20's, and usually 'managed' the younger kids working for the crime boss. Occasionally, they would make drug deliveries themselves.

"Got my package?" Ratchet asked. Griff held out a small plastic baggie, filled with brownish powder, which Ezra knew to be the refined stronger Ryll that Ratchet preferred.

The thug pulled it away before Ratchet could grasp it. "Payment first." Griff rasped out.

Kanan waited, reaching with his Force sense as "Habu" came closer. He could feel the greater threat was here, so he ignored the scene playing out between Ratchet and Griff. "What we're really looking for is that girl you run with. Wendigo would like to check her out, maybe offer her a job."

"She's not interested. I can tell you that right now." Ezra lifted his chin. Kanan could feel Ezra bristling at the suggestion. The kid had clenched his fist.

"Troopers would tell a different story. Heard the girl gave it up to more than a few of them…figure she might be interested in getting paid for it." Both Habu and Griff laughed.

"What's she look like?" Griff asked.

"Little Mandalorian chick. Hot as hell, dude." Habu looked back at Ezra, leering. "She's got a nice ass."

Ezra's anger was boiling, and Kanan placed a hand on the boy's shoulder to calm him as he edged forward.

"You know what she's like, Bridger. Why don't you tell us all about it? Is she worth the money, or did she give it up for free?"

Ezra growled and let off a blast from his energy slingshot that missed, due to his prosthetic. He made a move toward Habu, but Kanan stepped more fully in his way.

"Wow. Kid's got a borg hand, Griff." Habu said. "Wonder how she likes that?"

"Oh, you're about to have a really bad day." Kanan growled as he advanced.

"And who the kriff are you?"

Kanan moved lightning fast. In a moment, he had thrown Habu up against the wall and pinned there with his forearm…and at the same moment, he had drawn his blaster and trained it on Griff. "I'm somebody you wanna leave alone, sleemo."

"Why do you care about a bitch like that? You obviously have no idea who you're karking around with. I work for-"

"I don't give a fracking credit who you work for. Bridger and the girl are under my protection. Tell whoever you want not to kriff with them or they'll have me to deal with." He leaned in and the weight behind his forearm on Habu's throat caused the breath in the thug's chest to begin to rasp. "Understand?" The very idea of what Habu had said about Sabine and the troopers made Kanan feel sick to his stomach. These must have been the type of people Ezra had told him about that first night. He wanted to start punching this guy in the face, but he held back. If he started, he might never stop.

Griff took that moment to draw his own blaster, so Kanan shot him in the thigh. The big man went down with a groan. "Don't frack with me." Kanan said in a low, dangerous voice, then turned his attention back to Habu, obviously the brains of the operation. His eyes glittered darkly as he looked at the thug. "You're going to leave both the kids alone. They're not worth your time." Kanan pushed hard with the Force. Doing this sober was a bit easier than doing it drunk last night and he was able to push past the thug's resistance easily.

"Not worth my time…" Habu murmured.

"Your buddy Griff does what you say, right? Tell him what happened was an accident."

"It was an accident, Griff. Guy didn't mean to shoot you." Habu said.

"What the frack?" Griff groaned out.

"It was an accident, laserbrain!" Habu turned to his subordinate. "Let's get this shit done and get out of here." Kanan let him go, stepping to the side, but keeping both Habu and Griff in his sights.

Ratchet had gone grey with fear. Habu snatched the packet of Ryll from Griff and stalked over to the mech-head. "Need the credits, Ryll-biter."

Ratchet felt at his pockets, pulled out some credits, and handed them over without counting them. Habu threw the packet at him, and walked over to help Griff to his feet. "C'mon you stupid son-of-a-bantha." He muttered, slinging an arm around Griff and helping him limp out.

"We're going." Kanan said, turning to Ezra. The kid had a wide-eyed look on his face as his eyes followed Kanan across the room. "Get the equipment you need."

Ratchet looked at Kanan too. "You just made a big mistake, dude." The mech-head said. "They're gonna be after you now."

"Yeah, the worry is killing me. Really gonna keep me up tonight." Kanan said, sarcasm evident. "How much for the servos?"

Ratchet thought a moment, trying to decide if he could ask for more than they were worth, but he backed off when he saw Kanan narrow his eyes.

Kanan paid the amount, which seemed expensive, but not an outright rip off. He glanced to Ezra, who had replaced his glove and had the box of parts in his good hand. The prosthetic was not functional because Ratchet had removed one or two of the old servos before the knock on the door. Kanan had an idea that Hera could help the kid, and if not, they'd find someone who could. He didn't want to stay here a moment longer than they had to; the whole place had a bad vibe.

When they got outside, Griff and Habu had already gone. Kanan felt relief-he could have killed the two, but that would have caused more problems, so he'd settled for a mind trick. Maybe Ezra hadn't noticed.

But as soon as they got outside, Ezra turned to him. "Hey-how did you get that guy to agree with you like that?"

_Ok, so much for slipping it by_ , Kanan worried. "Sometimes it's a look you have in your eyes that makes them see things your way, I don't know." He shrugged, pretending to be clueless. "I'm glad we didn't have to take it that far. We don't need that kind of problem right now." When they got to the head of the street, Ezra began leading again.

As they headed across the mostly deserted industrial area, they came upon a damaged metal fence. Ezra pulled it to the side and held it for Kanan, who ducked between the jagged edges. Once Ezra was through, he followed the kid to a pile of broken suspensor crates, and then slid behind them, entering into the sewer system of Lothal.

The sewer was pretty dry; the industrial area of Lothal was pretty much abandoned, and there hadn't been rain for a while. They walked through the maze of tunnels for a while, then Ezra spoke in the darkness.

"Hang on a second. Let me get some light."

Kanan paused, then blinked as Ezra's alcove became bright with light from two Imperial-issue glow- lamps. "Wow," he remarked. It was a pretty large space. There were suspensor crates stacked in one corner of the alcove. There were a few along the wall, and then Kanan saw a table to the left, made up of crates with an old piece of spine tree wood across it. To the right was a mat and several folded blankets and pillows. Kanan realized it was the kid's sleeping area. "This where you stay?"

"Sometimes. This place was Arsen's. I also have a base at the old abandoned Imperial communications tower outside of Lothal. They don't use it anymore." He set the box of servos down on the table and went to one of the other suspensor crates. He pulled out a crate full of stormtrooper armor, and Imperial Academy uniforms.

"You said Sabine stayed with you after she got free. Here?" Kanan asked gently. It wasn't what he really wanted to ask, but it was a good segue.

"Yeah." Ezra's back was to Kanan, he was kneeling by the crate, but it didn't make asking the next question any easier.

"What happened with Sabine and the stormtroopers, Ezra?" Kanan spoke gently. He had felt the kid's anger when Habu mentioned her and how protective Ezra felt for the Mandalorian girl.

"They really hurt her." Ezra murmured. "She was beat up, but I think…I know…it was…more than that. She had bruises…like fingers, on her wrists and legs." He swallowed hard. "Like…like they held her down. Her clothes were ripped."

"Kriff." Kanan breathed, anger churning in the pit of his stomach. "That explains a lot." He knelt near Ezra, so he was more on the kid's same level.

"Yeah." Ezra turned halfway toward Kanan, and Kanan saw tears had filled the kid's eyes, but he blinked them away. "She's killed four of them so far. There's one left."

Kanan put a hand on Ezra's shoulder as he felt the stab of emotion from the kid. "You love her, don't you?"

Ezra nodded. "I don't know if she feels the same. Or if she can feel the same. I mean, I …I get why not, so I'd never push her. If she never feels the same way…it doesn't matter. I'll still be there for her." He took a deep breath. "I've never…told anyone about it." He glanced up at Kanan. Somehow, he sensed he could trust the quiet drifter with the sad gentleness in his eyes. It was a great relief to talk to someone after trying to help Sabine so long on his own.

"It's obvious how much she trusts you. You're doing the right thing for her, Ezra." Kanan said softly.

"I hope so." Ezra paused for a moment, looking down into the box at his knees, thinking for a way to change the subject. He couldn't help but feel like he had told Kanan too much, but then again, he wanted Kanan to understand why Sabine was so angry. At everyone. She was like a bomb, set to explode, and he worried about her-as much as she'd let him, anyway. "Um…I think I have a whole set of storm trooper armor, an Imperial officer uniform and some Imperial cadet uniforms."

"You stole all of this?" Kanan asked, surprised at the large amount of uniforms and other items. He thought he saw a couple of Imperial code cylinders as well. Wow. This kid was good.

"Yeah. I go in to the Imperial complex all the time to check for information about my parents. I always take something. Pickpocketing things is easy…they're so sure of themselves." He stood up and began to search some other boxes. He found a blaster and tossed it in the box, as well as a regulation blaster rifle. Kanan had to admit that the kid's skills were impressive.

They packed up what they could into a single suspensor crate. Before they left, Ezra strapped on a blaster pistol, partially hidden by the jacket he wore. He didn't normally carry it; sometimes having a blaster just seemed to draw the wrong kind of attention, but when he and Sabine went on their 'missions' he carried one.

"This Jedi…" Ezra said. "If he or she is rescued, they could really give people hope. My dad always told stories about the Jedi. That they never could have betrayed the Republic. You said you were from Coruscant. Did you know any of them? Were they as good as everyone always said?"

Kanan felt his breath catch in his chest, and it was only by force of will that he was able to steady his voice enough to answer. "From what I know of the Jedi, Ezra, they never would have betrayed the Republic's trust. They were a force for good in the galaxy."

Ezra nodded, then turned to shut off first one, then the second of the glow-lamps. "Then we have to try and save him. Or her…even if it is risky. It's the right thing to do."

"Yeah. You're right, of course." Kanan waited for his eyes to adjust, then followed Ezra out into the dark. There was a lot to do.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:Please remember I’m posting 2 chapters a day, so make sure you read both!! There's a little Zeb/Sabine bonding moment in here that I just love. Also some banter between Kanan and Hera that I like. And then our hero becomes reacquainted with the Force again, and it has some unexpected consequences. The encounter with the baddies is looming. Oh! I think I've mentioned this before, but you might want to read the companion piece to this called "Chalactan Roses" so that you get the full impact of the last scene, but it's not mandatory or anything. It's rated M, so link to it from my profile if you're having trouble finding it.

Chapter 6

Walking down the streets of the city with Zeb was interesting, Sabine thought. He certainly drew a lot of attention wherever he went; it certainly wasn't the suspensor crate that was drawing the stares of the early morning shoppers. A tall, purple-furred Lasat was the last thing people expected to see.

Earlier, Sabine had just been coming out of the fresher, drying her hair with a towel when Hera asked her if she'd go with Zeb to purchase some equipment they would need for the operation. "O-okay." She'd said, a little unsure. She'd looked around for Ezra, but he _w_ asn't around. Ezra had told her, the day before, about his struggle with Zeb in the kitchen, so she was inclined not to trust the Lasat…at first. However, during breakfast that morning, she'd seen Zeb treat Ezra with a sort of teasing kindness that had put her more at ease. And when Hera told the big guy to knock it off, he had, so she knew that the Lasat would follow the Twi'lek's lead.

 _Ok, I can do this_ , she thought, taking a deep breath to ease the tightness in her shoulder blades. She headed back to the quarters where she'd left her armor. Ezra was inside.

She'd talked with him, and he seemed to think it was a good idea that they get to know Zeb, since they'd all be working together. She'd raised an eyebrow at him, but he'd reassured her in that way of his that made her feel like everything would be alright. So, pulling on her armor, she'd gotten ready to go. Before leaving, Hera had told her to bring back a change of clothes and anything else she'd need, as she wanted them to stay on the _Ghost_ while they further refined their plan. Then Sabine had casually offered to help them.

"You know, I have some explosives. We could use them as a distraction…"

Hera's eyes glowed at her words. "That would…be a huge help. Thank you, Sabine."

She'd blushed, and simply nodded, then glanced up at the Lasat, who was smiling at her with a toothy grin.

"Those teeth aren't very reassuring, Lasat," she said very seriously, then turned and headed for the ramp. For a moment, Zeb didn't seem to know she was joking, but he figured it out when she turned and waited on him to catch up.

Now they were walking through Lothal's busy farmer's market. "So. How long you been on Lothal?" the Lasat asked.

Sabine glanced up at Zeb as they walked toward Old Jho's. She had a small room above the bar; the Ithorian let her use it for some reason she didn't understand. Jho would never explain why he'd made the offer to her, just that he was happy to have her and he claimed he needed her around to help out.

Lothal's street kids knew they could always count on Jho to help them, in exchange for performing simple tasks around the bar and garage. She helped him a few mornings a week, getting the bar up and running for the rest of the day, and in return, he allowed her to stay in the little room above the garage. She somehow felt like Ezra had been instrumental in the whole offer of a place to stay, but she wasn't certain.

"Been here a year and a half," she said, to answer the Lasat's question. He'd turned his green eyes toward her and she realized her thoughts had been wandering.

Zeb expected her to open up more, but he was disappointed. This girl was as tough a nut as Hera had made her out to be. "Oh. Well, we come here now and again to pick up and sell cargo." Her eyes briefly flicked to him as he spoke, then they began another slow survey of the space around them. There was light traffic in the open-air market, but she still seemed on edge to Zeb. "Everything ok?"

"Maybe," she answered, making another slow sweep. All of a sudden, she jammed on the black and silver helmet she had been carrying. There was a whirring noise above them and she turned her head to follow it, watching as a black droid hovered across the air space above the market. Zeb turned to look and she grabbed his arm squeezing it so hard her fingers dug in. "No," she hissed, drawing his attention back to her. "Don't look. Follow me."

Zeb followed her instructions. They ducked inside Jho's bar, and she tugged off her helmet, smoothing her hair and tucking it behind her ear. Sabine quickly waved to the Ithorian, then led Zeb to a set of back stairs. "This way," she said.

When they entered the small room over the garage/bar, she shut the door and went to the window. Moving the shade aside barely a centimeter to peer out, she spotted the droid flying over the north side of town. "Imperial Probe Droid," she muttered. "It's here to do crowd recon. Something definitely IS going down."

She remained at the window for long moments, then hissed. "Two. Two of them."

"Karabast. What do you think they're looking for?" Zeb asked, sliding so he could see out of the window by looking out behind her. Apparently, it was too close for comfort because Sabine quickly twisted her body away from the window, putting a lot of space between herself and the Lasat. She looked at him, suddenly defensive, her eyes wide and her body taut with tension. Her hand hovered near her belt, but she didn't draw her weapon.

Zeb's keen sense of smell allowed him to sense her sudden fear; he took a couple of immediate steps back, putting even more space between them. He dropped his eyes from her a moment, giving her a chance to compose herself. "Sorry. I didn't mean to crowd you," he offered.

"It's…okay." She seemed to relax in stages. A huge sigh, and her hand moved from where it hovered by her blaster. Her shoulders were still tense, but she managed a tight, but uncertain smile. He returned it, remaining where he was.

Zeb recognized the look in her eyes. As she knelt by the bed, working at the floorboards, he thought back to the veterans he'd known on Lasan. Some of them had been jumpy like that, jumpy from what the medics called battle fatigue.

She had kept him in her peripheral vision the whole time as she removed several of the floorboards and shifted the rest out of the way. "The droids are doing threat assessment. It's SOP to know what kinds of people are in the area when a sensitive op is taking place."

"How do you know all that?"

She sat back on her heels a moment. "I used to be an Imperial Academy student. I was sent to Lothal when…when I started asking the wrong questions about things."

"I notice you said 'used to be.'" Zeb murmured.

"I quit. Of course, they didn't see it that way, I'm a deserter…but I don't care. I couldn't be a part of that anymore." From the space in the floor, she pulled out a small crate of grenades and other small explosives.

Zeb knelt near her, but was careful not to crowd her. "You made the right decision, kit. I can tell it cost you." Zeb met her warm brown eyes with a gentle look. "For somebody like me, who lost everything to the Empire, it means a lot that you would stand up like that."

She nodded, her voice also soft. "I…I saw what happened on your planet. They made us, the students...watch the holos. It was…indescribable. I know 'sorry' doesn't even begin to cover it, but…." She remembered how students had cheered at the show of Imperial Force. They'd saluted, yelled things at the holo and clapped each other on the back. She had watched the entire thing like a cold stone carving, her stomach churning. And when they'd been released, she'd thrown up in the fresher and vowed that she was done with the Empire. No matter what. Her parents would say that she had damaged the family honor, but where was honor in genocide? She bit her lip hard, wondering how Zeb saw her.

With the gentlest movement, Zeb reached out and placed his paw lightly on her arm, in understanding. She looked down at it, seeing the deep scar that lined the top of it, the bare flesh showing up light against one of his darker purple stripes. It was a physical sign of the pain he'd been through, most likely on Lasan on that very day. She startled when he spoke, her eyes finding his. "It's okay, kit. It's nothing you or I could have stopped. All we can do is make the most of what we cando to make the universe a better place."

"Yeah," she managed hoarsely.

"Let's pack these in the suspensor crate, do that shopping and then get back to the Ghost." Zeb helped her up, and the two of them left together.

* * *

"Reach your contact?" Kanan asked, as he and Ezra paused at the bottom of the cargo ramp with their crates. He saw that there had been a large delivery to the Ghost, boxes of goods neatly stacked, leaving a path to the ladder.

Hera shook her head, a rueful smile. "Guess this time we're on our own."

Kanan nodded as Ezra walked up the ramp in front of him. Chopper rolled out from a corner of the cargo bay, made a spitting noise at them and then used his rocket to get to the upper level, laughing manically at a joke only he understood as he rolled away.

"Ignore him," she laughed. "Chopper's being…well, Chopper. How was the trip?" She had been sitting comfortably at the top of the ladder, her feet over the side of the upper level, but now she was standing. A brief flicker of concern passed over her face when she saw Ezra struggle to climb the ladder with his bad hand, but she smoothed it away rapidly.

Kanan came behind Ezra, after setting the crate so that it would float straight up to the top level. Hera pulled it over the railing.

"The trip, uh…It was interesting. Our kid here is really good at swiping things from the Imperials. He's got a full set of uniforms AND some code cylinders. Oh…and I shot a guy." At the swift look from Hera, Kanan held out both hands. "It wasn't my fault. It was shoot or be shot, and you know, I usually choose myself in these types of situations."

"Really?" she said, with a raised eyebrow. What kind of man was this Kanan Jarrus? For a second she wondered what she had gotten herself into. But, damn it, she was usually a pretty good judge of character. She refused to believe that she'd made that kind of mistake. "Are stormtroopers going to be visiting my ship later, Kanan Jarrus? Because we don't need those kinds of problems…" She poked a finger into his chest.

Kanan shook his head. "No. No troopers. I didn't kill the guy. It was a flesh wound. Rub some mud into it, slap some engine tape on it, it'll be just fine."

"Uh-huh." She said, giving him a look that said _we'll talk more later_. "Ezra. C'mon. Let's take another look at that hand."

"Thanks," he nodded. "I got the parts to fix it, but the guy…he couldn't finish the job."

"So, you shot the guy who was going to help Ezra?" she turned, hand on her hip, her eyes moving swiftly to Kanan. "Smooth move, laserbrain."

"No!" Kanan and Ezra both protested.

"Kanan shot the other guy," Ezra said plaintively.

Kanan went on, "Hera, the repair guy was literally a Ryll-biter. We both knew you would do a better job." He nudged Ezra. "Kid!" he hissed.

"Yeah, you'd be so much better!" Ezra spoke up brightly after a moment's hesitation.

"Now you've got the kid in on it too." Hera tried to put on an angry face, but a grin cracked the mask. "C'mon kid. Let me get you fixed up."

* * *

Ezra told Hera an abbreviated story of what had happened while she repaired his malfunctioning prosthetic. Halfway through, Zeb and Sabine came back. Hera glanced up at the Lasat, who hadn't known about Ezra's injured hand before, and she caught a swift look of sorrowful concern pass over Zeb's gaze. Sabine apparently already had known because she looked interestedly at what Hera was doing without reservation.

Ezra and Kanan retold the story of their morning, but when they got to the part about the probe droid, Sabine's eyes were wide. "Was it black? Three optical sensors? Pincers?" Kanan nodded.

"We saw two of them." Sabine said, looking at Zeb to help confirm what she had seen.

The Lasat chimed in. "They were crisscrossing the town square. Sabine said she thinks they were doing recon on the crowd."

"I don't think it saw us." Kanan murmured, thinking back to the uneasy miasma that seemed to surround the droid. He sat beside Ezra, shifting uncomfortably, and crossing his arms across his chest. "There was something…off about it." A kind of connection to the dark side. He knew it was possible; he knew that some places and in rare occasion, some objects could actually contain Force energies, but he had no idea what it could mean. He found himself itching with questions.

"Well, I can see why they would be checking the crowd if they are bringing a Jedi here." Hera said. "Still, I don't like this either. We'll keep our eyes out, and be extra careful when we leave the ship."

She fit the last pieces of Ezra's prosthetic together, then let him try it out. "Thanks." Ezra moved his fingers experimentally and then he smiled. "It's better than it ever was." She nodded and stood up to take the tools back to the engine room when he leaped up and threw his arms around her in an unexpected hug. "Thank you." He murmured again, where only she could hear.

"You're welcome, Ezra." She spoke into the top of his head as she returned the hug. "I hope you know that we're in your debt. All of you. You didn't have to help, but you stepped up to do the right thing." She met Kanan's eyes, then Sabine's and Ezra's. "Zeb and I appreciate it."

"Jedi's not coming till tomorrow night, right?" Zeb asked. They nodded in response. "So, what's the plan until then?"

Hera thought a moment, still standing next to Ezra. "Sabine, Ezra said you might be able to help us with reprogramming the code cylinders…we'll probably need them to get into the sensitive areas where they might be holding the Jedi."

Sabine nodded. "I've still got a few tricks up my sleeve and I know of a few backdoors into the Imperial systems."

"Good." Hera nodded back. The girl looked not only pleased to have a task, but eager to get started.

"I see we got the cargo," Zeb said. "It's a short run to Behsan. We could be back by dinner tonight."

"It would give us something to do." Hera agreed. "Not to mention, we could come back and take a look at the Imperials in orbit…see if there's anything unusual going on before we head back to Jho's. What do you think?"

"Great!" Ezra said. "I've never been in space before." Sabine nodded, and Kanan, still with his arms crossed over his chest nodded as well, too lost in thought to reply.

"So, I'll lift off, and maybe Zeb can make lunch for everyone." Hera said, headed for the cockpit.

"Hey, can I watch takeoff?" Ezra's followed Hera toward the cockpit.

"Of course." Hera replied, "It'll be a little bit while we wait for clearance to go, but come on."

"I think last night's finally catching up with me." Kanan said, smiling ruefully at Zeb. "I think I'm going to lay down a few minutes until my head stops pounding."

"Sure thing. Use my room, if you want. We'll keep it down in here." Zeb grinned. "I knew you were lying about the hangover."

"Yeah. Can't blame a guy for trying." Kanan managed a weak grin, then scooped up his knapsack from where he'd dropped it and entered Zeb's room.

"Guess that just leaves us to make lunch." Zeb said to Sabine. "C'mon, kit. We'll have it ready by the time Hera gets us into orbit."

* * *

Kanan lowered the lights sat down in a mediation pose on the floor of Zeb's room. His muscles were unused to the position, he found, so he stretched first and then folded himself into the right position, while they continued to complain. He was not really sure what he planned to do. When listening to Hera and the others, he had conceived some vague idea of reaching out to the Force, as he'd not done in years. Maybe it would show him a direction, or give him some insight into the cold aura he'd felt when the strange black droid had flown over. Maybe he could be reassured that this whole thing wasn't going to end in disaster; maybe he was just letting his anxieties get the best of him. He felt guilty. After ignoring the will of the Force for so long, it felt dishonest somehow to want something from it now. But Hera, Zeb, those kids…they'd all begun to grow on him, in a way that he couldn't deny, and he didn't want to see them killed or caught by the Empire. They were good, but, as he'd learned from his master's death, good was frequently not good enough. Just because you had a righteous cause was no guarantee you would win.

He hadn't known them long, but they'd been brought together for a reason. If he could keep them safe, he had to. If that meant trying to connect with the Force, then he would at least give it a shot, no matter the consequences.

Quieting his mind enough to meditate for the first time in years was a daunting task. He sat with his hands on his knees, his thumb touching his index finger in a simple concentration mudra. Actually concentrating? That was another monumental task all in itself.

_Proper form, then function would follow._

He closed his eyes, as voices from the past swirled around him.

_When in doubt, always seek the Force, a Jedi will._

_Sit up straight, young Padawan. Do not slouch. Correct form is essential if you wish to become a Jedi like your Master._

_Look for nothing, and everything._

The last one, his master's voice. A faint hint of amusement in it. He had begun to sink into the tide of the Force when that thought threw him out of the light trance he'd slipped into.

He sighed with frustration, closed his eyes and felt again. He opened himself up to allow the Force to flood every cell of his body, every pore of his skin. He felt luminous with its power.

Then he heard her voice again.

 _Look for nothing and everything._ Her light laughter brushed his ear. It seemed for a moment that she was there, the barest wisp of her consciousness, but she was gone before he could grasp it.

There was a sense of expansion, of airiness and then the heat of the Force. It washed over him in a ceaseless tide, an ocean of warmth and light. The very beauty of it hurt as he drifted through its luminous currents and eddies. It was as if he were a Padawan, touching the Force for the first time. He became lost in the glow and whirl of the Force's tide as his consciousness moved outward, from the Ghost and beyond the spaceport.

Without warning, his mind brushed against darkness. It was indistinct at first because the mind that contained the darkness was turned somewhere else. He felt around its edges and then the evil turned herself toward him. It was a sadistic, yellow-eyed malevolence; eyes like the stories of the Sith that he'd read about in the temple library as a youngling. He could feel her insane anger tearing at him; she was trying to use her will to determine who he was and worse…where he was.

Kanan felt his defenses being worn down. He realized he was slipping as he was losing his grip on the light, and he began to panic as the darkness increased two-fold, four-fold, ten-fold. She pressed her mind against him, and he felt a crawling inside his skull like the movement of a thousand spiders. It was as if he were looking into a black hole, a yawning maw of death, a vortex of swirling nothingness. He tried to withdraw, to escape, and he felt another of the dark-siders…from farther away now, turning their evil gaze upon him. He scrabbled for purchase, but began to slowly slide into the pit. In the real world of Zeb's room, he let out a low moan.

Then blessed light found him again.

_**NO!** _

Blazing light pushed him back, covering, blinding and obscuring the source of the cold, sticky dark, and Kanan was thrown, completely out of his meditative state. When he opened his eyes, he was flat on his back, looking at the ceiling.

 _What in the seven hells…?_ he thought. He looked at his chrono and saw that he had only been meditating for twenty minutes.

He sat up, muscles shaking with exertion. What had happened? Were the two evil presences he'd sensed Sith? What was…or who was the source of the light that had saved him, throwing him back at the last second before he lost it completely?

"Th-thank you." He breathed out loud, to whatever entity it was that had saved him: a being whose aura had been as brilliant as any Master's he had known in the temple. He realized his head was pounding, and he pulled himself up to sit on the lower bunk, cradling his face in his hands. The problem seemed more daunting than ever. If these were evil force wielders, then they probably had no chance at this.

 **"Save the Jedi, Caleb."** His Master's voice was right beside his ear. He startled, eyes wide as he glanced first one way then the other to look around the room. He was not alone anymore. He couldn't see her, but she was there.

His breath wouldn't come. His entire body seemed to be listening for her, sensing the very air around him for her presence. Then, like a soft melody, the scent of roses slowly bloomed in the room and his emotional control unraveled. Chalactan roses had been her favorite. They had grown in the temple garden, where he'd spent many sunny days meditating with her. The scent both soothed him and brought back all the pain of his loss, as fresh as the day she'd died. The anguish was so acute that he actually glanced down to his chest, expecting to see a gaping wound there.

The fragrance increased, then it began to wane as the vibration of the Ghost's engines changed; they were now jumping to hyperspace. He curled into himself, pulling his knees up and burying his face against them. He had spent so long holding the grief back, that when it came, there was an ocean of it. The tempest battered him like the waves of a great dark sea and he floated there isolated and alone.

* * *


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Ezra smiled as Hera passed him with a stack of crates, but the smile fell from his face as soon as she passed outside with her load. Something was really wrong, but he didn't want to worry her.

They were making the delivery on Behsan and the four of them, minus Kanan, were unloading the shipment. Kanan hadn't been seen since earlier that day when he left to lie down. Ezra knew he wasn't sleeping, however. He could sense the turbulent storm of emotions above them and wondered what was going on with the enigmatic drifter.

He couldn't mention being able to sense Kanan's emotions. To anyone…for so many reasons. But that didn't mean he couldn't go check on the guy. After all, Kanan had been nice to him so far. More than nice, and he could just act concerned and it wouldn't be a big deal, right? And maybe he could find out what was causing the deluge of hopeless sorrow. It was all Ezra could do to keep from letting it overwhelm him.

"Hey, tell Hera I'll be right back, ok?" Ezra passed Zeb and climbed the ladder.

"Sure kid." Zeb answered.

Ezra climbed to the upper level of the Ghost and made his way toward Zeb's room, where he knew Kanan would be. The closer he got, the more the waves of psychic agony smacked into him. He found himself remembering the sadness he'd felt in the hotel room earlier that day. Except this was a hundred times worse.

He lingered outside of Zeb's room, his hand on the door's surface, trying to sense what was wrong. Eventually, he gave up, keyed the door and it slid open, revealing a dark room. Ezra took a couple of steps inside while the door swished quietly closed behind him. "Kanan?" he whispered as his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

There was a long pause, then a reply from the figure that was sitting on the bed, knees up to his chest, elbows resting on them and head bowed. "Yeah?" the husky voice asked. It was hard to recognize it as the drifter's voice. It was so different.

"You…are you okay?" he asked, drifting closer to the bed.

"Um…yeah." The answer was clearly a lie, but Ezra felt the emotion of sadness lessen, as if it had been tucked away again. There was a movement of Kanan's arms and hands, as if wiping his face on his sleeve.

"Kanan." Ezra murmured. "I just…well, came to see if you needed anything? Anything at all…"

"Ezra…Kid….I can't. I can't do this right now. Okay?" There was a shaky intake of breath.

By now, Ezra had made it to the bed. In the almost darkness, he could see Kanan's eyes squeezed shut, tears escaping to trail down his face. The black hole in the man's mind threatened to yawn open again. Ezra could feel the void, and Kanan was edging the event horizon.

"Something's really wrong." Ezra whispered, coming close enough to touch Kanan's shoulder, but he was afraid to do so.

And then Kanan's eyes were open, looking at him in the semi-darkness. He wiped his face with his hand once more and let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah. Been wrong a long time, kid." There was a sharp pang of sadness from Kanan, which began to lessen. "Cut me some slack, alright?"

"Kanan?" Ezra asked, searching Kanan's face.

"I just need to sleep a while." Kanan murmured. Ezra sensed the deep exhaustion coming from the drifter, who laid down and turned his face to the wall. Several long moments passed, then Kanan spoke again, his voice thick with sleep. "…'s okay. Go on, kid."

Ezra didn't want to leave, but he sensed that the crisis was passing, and in its wake was just a heavy mantle of exhaustion. Kanan would sleep now, he somehow knew. "Okay." Ezra said softly, laying a gentle hand on Kanan's shoulder before hearing his incomprehensible mumble. Then he left the room.

Hera keyed in on him right away when he returned to the cargo bay. "Ezra?" The kid had been quiet and preoccupied since they'd left Lothal, but she'd not pushed him. "You okay?"

"Oh, um…yeah. You guys got done." The cargo area was now empty.

"Zeb's getting payment right now. He and Sabine are right out there." She gestured behind her.

Ezra shifted from one foot to the other. "Oh. Okay."

She was patient, even though she wanted to wrap her arms around him and not let go. He looked shaken up somehow. "Ezra. You do know you can trust me, right? If something's wrong. You've been really quiet since lunch." She reached over and brushed the hair out of his eyes with a gentle gesture.

Ezra looked up, examining her with his very dark blue eyes. "Just um…thinking's all." He wanted to tell her how Kanan's sad feelings had seemed to bleed over into his head all day. It was weird, because usually he could feel other people's emotions, but there was distance. They were separate, unless he decided to become involved. Kanan's emotions seemed so much more _there_ —stronger and invasive. There had been some times with Sabine, after she'd come to stay with him, that…he'd cried along with her, feeling her pain keenly like Kanan's, but that was unusual. He didn't know how to explain any of it, and he knew he shouldn't try. He couldn't let on he was…different.

"I was thinking about how different it is to be here. I guess I've been alone a lot. Now. . .I kind of know what I was missing." Okay, not too much of a lie, he thought as he looked up at her with almost a wince as he wondered if it would fool her.

She leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. He was so thin…she could feel the bones under his skin and her heart ached for him. For as long as the kid was here, under her roof, she was going to make sure he ate well. "I'm here for you." She leaned back to look at him. "I'm afraid I'm growing very fond of the both of you…you and Sabine. You're very brave."

Ezra looked up with surprise. "I'm not anybody special. I just…"

This "You _are_ special because you kept fighting, Ezra. There are a thousand stories-just like yours-across the galaxy, but you stood up for what was right when others couldn't. You have the kind of courage that can inspire people."

"I just want my parents to be proud of me…when they come back." Ezra murmured.

"I'm sure they already are, Ezra." She squeezed him again with one arm still around his shoulders.

He leaned into her embrace, wondering how someone could be so nice. The very same woman he'd tried to steal from was now saying she was proud of him. It was unbelievable and it had the unexpected effect of causing his emotions to well up. "Let me go find Sabine before she draws a blaster on someone." He murmured as a joke, ducking his head self-consciously and leaving before she could see how much she'd affected him with her kind words and hug.

* * *

Later that day, taking her time getting back to Lothal, Hera checked to see if Fulcrum had sent them a message. There was nothing. Well, it was obvious that they would be on their own for the mission tomorrow, she thought, her mouth set in a grim line. She was a big girl and would handle it, like she handled everything life had thrown at her in her short years. She made sure to check on Ezra frequently, and after a short nap, the kid seemed to be doing better. He still seemed out of sorts, somehow but by early evening he and Sabine were playing Dejarik with Zeb in the common area. She smiled when she heard Zeb teasingly accuse Ezra of cheating. She hadn't been sure at first, but she'd even heard Sabine's light laughter at Zeb's antics. The Lasat was a natural with them.

Hera dropped out of hyperspace and moved into orbit around Lothal, as Kanan came to her mind. He had slept through all of their trip, and she wondered idly if he'd appreciate being awoken, now that they were back. According to Zeb, Kanan had been covering up a pretty bad hangover and needed to sleep it off, which was why she hadn't gone in to check on him. But she was starting to worry. He'd been asleep a long time. As soon as she'd gotten a good look at what was in the area, she would go check on him.

"Chopper, sensor sweep on the area. We're just gonna hang out a while and see what's up."

Chopper replied that he would collect data until she gave the word.

Hera leaned back, propping her feet on the sensor panel. Kanan Jarrus was an interesting one, alright. Their banter earlier had been fun, something she'd not really experienced in a long time because rebellion and romance did not go well together. Spending time on her own happiness was unthinkable when so many in the galaxy were suffering. It was a lesson she'd learned at her father's knee, as a young girl on Ryloth.

As she and Zeb moved from place to place, they never stayed anywhere long enough to develop friendships with anyone. Of course, she and the Lasat were close. They'd rescued each other from so many bad situations. They both had their own motivations for being in the rebellion, and she trusted Zeb to have her back. He was her family, but there hadn't been time for anyone else.

But, didn't she have to admit she was starting to feel that way about Kanan and the kids as well? She wanted to help Sabine and Ezra so much. In the short time she'd known them, she'd seen how devoted they were to each other. They were so brave and smart for their ages. The very fact that Ezra had been working for Arsen Jax…and that he'd survived on the streets alone so far…and the fact that Sabine was trained by the Empire, but was now very much against everything they stood for… that would be of great interest to Fulcrum. And Kanan. There was such an intensity to him…she couldn't quite put her finger on it. He was recklessly brave, fast on his feet, and despite all his denials to the contrary, he had a good heart. Hera had a thought to possibly ask them, all of them, to join the crew; not just to fight the Empire, but also for more selfish reasons.

She wanted to make sure these kids had food to eat, and a safe place to sleep every night. She wanted to erase those doubts Kanan seemed to have about himself. But she was probably jumping the gun on all of that. She realized that they were all still getting to know each other; perhaps, depending on how the mission went, they might want to sign on as crew. Or not. If the mission didn't go well, all this was for nothing anyway, she realized.

Better to try and get an idea of what the Empire was up to then. She began to study the starfield in front of her with a single-minded focus.

There were several Imperial ships in orbit. Transports, a light cruiser that had been stationed there for a while and oh. Something new. An IGV-55. Surveillance ship. Well, that was unsettling. Suddenly she wondered if her earlier attempts to contact Fulcrum had been overheard. Certainly, something would have happened, if that was so.

Glancing up, Hera noticed several Lambda class shuttles, of the type that had been coming and going for a while now, making their way slowly toward the surface of Lothal. They had exited a new light cruiser that came into their field of vision as the Ghost rotated.

"Hmmm." She murmured to herself, leaning up to grab a data pad to view the results of Chopper's scans. When she leaned back, she realized she wasn't alone.

"They're here." The two words sent a chill down Hera's spine and she dropped the pad, startled.

Hera turned to see Kanan in the doorway, watching as the shuttles flew by. She felt a shiver at the ominous tone of his voice and the shadows under his eyes.

"Who?" Hera replied, her voice a mere whisper in the air. "Who's here, Kanan?"

"The Jedi." Kanan's wide unblinking eyes were fixed on the slow-moving shuttles. "I can sense her."

"How?" she stood up.

He didn't answer. Long moments passed while Kanan followed the shuttles with his eyes. He watched the barely flickering light of the Jedi's Force signature, surrounded with a swirling vortex of dark side energies.

Hera watched, fascinated and disturbed at the same time. What was he doing? He took a few steps forward, like a sleepwalker, going straight ahead until he hit the back of the cockpit chair in front of him. It was as if he didn't see it because he was somewhere else. His head tilted, and his loose hair obscured half his face in shadow. She stood up and went to him. His gaze was distant and she felt his shivering in the cool, recycled air of the ship. Nothing about this was normal. Was he on some sort of drug, she found herself wondering? He wasn't drunk, but he wasn't all there either. She stepped to him and leaned to hit the button to close the cockpit door, but Ezra had appeared in the doorway.

"Is he…okay?" Ezra asked. A strange sensation had pulled him here—it felt like every hair on his head was standing up. The air was heavy with a quality he couldn't put his finger on, and it had drawn him like a magnet.

"Ezra, love. I need the medkit, can you get it? It's in the galley. Keep everything quiet, though. Don't worry Zeb or Sabine just yet."

"Okay, Hera." He was gone. In the meantime, she took Kanan's arm and moved him to sit in the co-pilot's seat.

"Kanan, what's going on?" He was easily led by her to the front, but his head moved so that his eyes stayed fixed on the shuttles, which were getting smaller as they pulled away. She reached up and smoothed his hair back so she could study his eyes. The size of his pupils seemed large, but it _was_ rather dim in the cockpit, so maybe...

"I can barely feel her…Force signature...muted..." He said thickly as he stood again, leaning forward so that his hand was touching the transparent barrier between the cockpit bubble and the vacuum of space. His head lowered in concentration.

"Kanan…sit please." She gently guided him again back down into the chair.

His eyes still looked out, but the shuttles were finally disappearing into Lothal's atmosphere. When they were gone, he blinked, as if clearing a fog from his eyes.

"Hey. Talk to me." She breathed, moving her head so that she stayed in his field of vision as he glanced around, confused.

"Hera?" He asked, the word a soft whisper. He looked around at the cockpit again, trailing off. His hair was a mess, and it added to his bewildered appearance, she thought, as she reached out and smoothed it down.

"You said she was on one of the shuttles. You said the Jedi was here. Do you remember?"

Hera began to take his vitals as she waited. She turned his wrist and placed two fingers on his pulse point. Humans were supposed to run about 80 beats per minute, but his pulse was over 100. "Take some slow deep breaths for me, okay?"

He blinked at her as if she were speaking Huttese. She could almost hear the machinery of his mind turning. Thinking up excuses. "I'm good," he said softly. "Maybe I was just…sleepwalking." He said slowly, beginning to craft a lie. "I…I haven't been sleeping well lately."

"Banthashit," she swore softly. "Kanan. How did you know the Jedi was here?"

He searched her face, but still hesitated.

"Kanan. I've been honest with you. You need to be honest with me."

Ezra came in with the medkit. He handed it to Hera, who took out the handheld med scanner and used it on Kanan.

As he watched, Ezra could sense Kanan's unease and confusion rising. Not saying anything, but just like before, he placed his hand on Kanan's shoulder.

Kanan felt a sudden flood of calm from the boy, and he startled as the truth became clear. Ezra was using the Force to connect with him-he'd been doing it the entire day. His eyes went wide. "You're Force-sensitive too…"

 _How did he know?_ A flood of icy water flowed through Ezra's veins, and he backed away in a panic. "No." A few times over the years they'd spent together, Arsen had suggested that very same thing might be true. Ezra had always been able to connect with people, and to anticipate events before they happened. The old man warned Ezra to keep it secret and never tell anyone.

_"_ _The Jedi are dead, my boy. The karking Empire murders people who have even the potential to use the Force, so you can never tell anyone about what you can do, understand?" It had been one of his bad nights, and the memory of liquor on Jax's breath came back to Ezra as the scene replayed itself in his memory. This had been only a little after Ezra had lost his hand; the old man had begun drinking more heavily after that.  
_

_"_ _But I'm not gonna hurt anybody." Ezra said softly, looking up in surprise._

_"_ _Oh, kriff… I know that, kid." The old man's voice softened and he had reached out and ruffled Ezra's hair. He tugged him into a tight embrace and spoke into the top of Ezra's head. "But still. You can't tell anyone. It's too dangerous. Understand me?"_

_"_ _But…but what about if someone's my friend?"_

_"_ _Do you know how many credits it would take for someone to turn on a friend? Less than you know. And the Empire will give them thousands of credits to turn traitor on you. Or torture them into revealing you."_

_Not even a friend_ , Ezra thought as he remembered his promise. "No, I don't understand…"

"I can see it, kid." Kanan got to his feet, stepping toward the kid, who was backing to the door. "Your light shines like a star. Kriff…I was so wrapped up in…myself…so I didn't see." He glanced to Hera, who was looking at him in utter shock. She'd obviously been putting the pieces together and had realized what this meant.

"Look. I don't want to hurt anyone." Ezra said in a shaky, trembling voice. "I don't even know HOW to hurt anyone. Just let…let me go and I won't come back and bother you. Sabine and I can just go…"

Kanan watched as murky terror began to dim the light he saw in the child. He stopped advancing and stood, both hands raised open handed toward the boy. "Wait." He softened his voice. "Ezra. Don't be afraid."

Ezra brushed the keypad as he tried to get out of the cockpit. The door began to slide open, then it snapped closed with a move of Kanan's hand. Ezra turned back to Kanan, afraid.

"Ezra. I'm like you. I can use the Force." Kanan knelt on one knee, trying his best not to appear threatening to the terrified boy. He reached to his belt and pulled off a strange, harmless looking cylindrical object, holding it in his palm. "Watch…"

The item rose into the air, floating perfectly still. Kanan made a simple gesture with his hand and every object in the room not tied down began to hover. "Long ago, I was a Jedi Padawan. I've been hiding, just like you."

"Son-of-a-bantha." Hera thudded heavily into her seat, thinking that she couldn't have been more surprised if Kanan had said he was the Emperor.

Ezra's face was full of wonder. "No one's tried to kill you?"

Kanan smiled, one corner of his mouth turning down in a smirk. "Oh, they've tried, alright." Ezra came close as Kanan let the items in the room slowly come back down to rest. The Jedi tucked the cylinder back on his belt.

"Arsen knew I was…different. He told me never to tell anyone, so I didn't. Not even Sabine."

"He kept you safe, telling you that." Kanan said. "I've never told anyone either…before tonight."

Hera had recovered herself enough to approach the two of them. "I think I can speak for Zeb when I say, you can trust us to keep this secret," she promised, her mind still reeling. What were the odds that they would all find each other? And that there was a third Force-sensitive nearby on the planet's surface? All of a sudden, their mission seemed even more urgent. She placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "I told you I was here for you, Ezra, and I meant that. That goes for you, too, Kanan."

Ezra looked up at her, eyes shining with emotion. She threw both arms around the kid and it was only a brief moment before Kanan slung his arms around the both of them. The three of them stayed that way for long moments, feeling safety in each other's embrace.

* * *

That evening there were not many transports landing at the spaceport in Capital City, so the troopers were bored and were hassling travelers.

The man who stepped off the transport was rather unremarkable, and so it took longer for the troopers to notice him. He was medium height, medium build; his long dark hair shot through with strands of grey. It was pulled back in a nerf-tail, hidden by his dark blue cloak, which itself was pulled up to obscure his bearded face. He was funneled into the line of travelers having their identification checked.

At the trooper's hand gesture, he reached up with one tattooed hand and pushed the hood back, so his face could be clearly seen. Next, he held out the required identification.

The trooper looked at it disinterestedly and handed it back. "What's your business in Capital City?" He asked brusquely.

"I have a sister here. My plan is to pay her a visit." His black-brown eyes weighed the trooper, measuring his reaction as his fingers stroked his beard thoughtfully. "It's a surprise." He added at the trooper's hesitation.

The black eyes of the plastoid helmet regarded him emotionlessly. "What is your home planet?"

The dark-haired man moved his tattooed hand across the trooper's field of vision, and _pushed_ with the Force. "You don't need to know my home planet. I should move along."

The trooper immediately repeated the phrase. "I don't need to know your home planet. Move along."

"Thank you. I'm sorry to have taken up so much of your time." He nodded and moved on, into the night breeze of Lothal, planet of prairies and rock formations. This place. This was where the Force had brought him, for more than one reason, he now sensed. There was a feeling of people and place drawing together.

The kyber crystals embedded into the surface of Lothal sang to him, a soft melody. This planet was strong with the Force; he could sense its hum in the earth under his feet, and in the air around him. He listened, following its pull into the city. Here, he would find the captured Jedi he'd seen in his vision. Blood and death-he'd seen that as well, and meant to prevent it, if it was possible to do so. There were those who needed saving, and he'd been taught from a youngling that that was a Jedi's function.

He passed by the Imperial facility in the darkness. He could feel the faint Light inside, among a blanket of Darkness. For Marellus Varro, Jedi Master, it was time to prepare for what was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Master Varro is my own invention. I hope you're still having as much fun as I am. Please let me know what you think. Don't forget, I'm posting the story 2 parts a day, so make sure you're not missing any chapters!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget, I'm posting two chapters a day. Today's new chapters are 7 and 8, so make sure you read both. 
> 
> Lots of action in this one! Hope you have fun!

**Chapter 8**

"Well, they took that well." Hera found Kanan in the cockpit, and set down a cup of caf near him. It was late, but neither of them felt like heading to bed.

"Yeah." Kanan shook his head. The last thing he'd thought he'd be doing today was revealing the secret he'd kept hidden for 14 years. He didn't expect them to go turn him in, but he was unprepared for their reaction, especially Zeb's.

_"_ _A Jedi." Zeb's green eyes had looked him up and down as if seeing him with new eyes. "Guess that means we got somethin' in common. We both hate the karkin' Imperials for what they did." He held out a hand and when Kanan shook it, Zeb grabbed him by the shoulder and enfolded him into a hug. "Hope you know you can trust me."_

Sabine had been mostly quiet, watching first Kanan, and then Ezra with wide eyes. She only asked Ezra one question. _"Did you always know?"_

_"_ _Not for sure…no. I was pretty scared to say anything."_

_"_ _You don't have to worry, Ezra. Your secret's safe with me," and she gave him one of her rare smiles._

The girl was obviously devoted to Ezra and wouldn't turn him in for a million credits, but Kanan wasn't as sure how she felt about himself. He would have to change his identity anyway; once they'd completed the mission, he would disappear into the Outer Rim. Maybe even Wild Space. It was safer that way. It had been the right thing to tell them, however. Confessing had brought him a strange sense of relief.

It gave him credibility about the darksiders, too. He thought about the danger and considered calling the whole thing off, but his master's words echoed in his mind. _Save the Jedi, Caleb._ There was no way not to follow her call; and he would have gladly walked into the Emperor's palace on Coruscant if she had called upon him to do that.

He took a sip of the strong caf and looked up to find Hera looking at him. "Spiran caf. Got me through a lot of hangovers." He let out a soft chuckle. "Good stuff."

"Only the best," she replied. They'd landed back at Jho's spaceport after talking to Zeb and Sabine in orbit. Due to the surveillance droids they'd seen earlier, Kanan had suggested they return only after the sensitive conversation was complete. They had Chopper scanning for any of the surveillance droids as an extra layer of protection, but the night was quiet. "Most of the time, I run on caf…so it's gotta be good." She propped her legs up on the panel and cradled her cup in both hands.

The silence unwound between them comfortably. Then Hera laughed. "I bet Ezra's getting an earful from Sabine."

"Girl's got him by the heartstrings." Kanan said softly. His face sobered when he remembered what Ezra had told him about Sabine, and he couldn't hide the expression of pain and concern that lined his features.

"What's wrong?" Hera murmured.

Kanan lifted his eyes to her. "What's gonna happen to these kids after? Do they just…go back out there?"

"I-I don't know." Hera sighed. "I was actually thinking about maybe asking them to stay on. As crew. Why?"

"There's something you should know, if you do."

Her eyes softened. "What is it?" Kanan started to speak two or three times, and sighed heavily again, his bluish-green eyes focused on a point somewhere outside the window. He thought a moment, then began slowly. "Ezra led me to that guy Ratchet's, as you know. He's a real piece of work. While we were there, these two punks show up from a local crime boss called the Wendigo. There's some trash talk. But what Ezra didn't tell you was what they were talking about." He sat up, placing both feet on the ground, but his head was down, staring at his cup.

She also sat up and turned completely toward him. "Go on."

"It was about Sabine. Those troopers, the ones who hurt her, did more than just beat her." He met Hera's eyes. Every instinct he had wanted to hunt them down, and make them pay, even though he knew only one assailant was left. "They raped her, Hera."

"Karking bastards!" Hera spoke through her clenched teeth, slamming her cup down on the flight control panel in anger. Things like this happened, more often than she could bear to hear about, and it never got easier.

Kanan's hands were clenched around his own mug. "These goons of the Wendigo's were looking for her with something similar in mind..." He forced himself to put the cup on the control panel before he shattered it. "Apparently the crime boss looks for kids like that to put out on the street…"

Sabine's jumpiness, her anger, her inability to trust them…Hera nodded slowly. "It all makes sense, now."

He glanced at her with watery eyes. "Yeah. I gave them a strong warning to steer clear, but I should have warned them with a blaster bolt to the head." She looked at him and saw the tension in his jaw as he clenched his teeth.

"Oh my Gods, Ezra…"

"He already knew what had happened to her. He helped her get away from the troopers that night…and took care of her after it happened. It's why she trusts him so much. The kid loves her." There was a long pause as he stared off into space.

"He's a good kid." Hera murmured. "Kriff…"

"Yeah." There were long moments of silence, in which Kanan finally took his cup back and finished the caf. It was now cold, but he swallowed it anyway. "Tomorrow, I want him with me." The Force seemed to approve as he vocalized what it had been edging him towards all day. There was a foreboding feeling that centered around Ezra, but he wasn't sure if it was real or his own worries coming through. After finding out the kid was Force-sensitive, he couldn't help but feel protective.

"That'll work. Sabine and Zeb seem to be getting along okay." Hera said, nodding. "They can set the charges together, then rendezvous with you for the escape."

"About that…I've been thinking." Kanan rolled the mug between his palms. "Ezra knows the sewers pretty well. He was telling me on the way back that he uses them to spy on the Imperial complex. If we go in the front in the Imperial uniforms, Zeb and Sabine could use the sewer entrance."

"It would certainly draw less attention to walk in without a Lasat." Hera murmured thoughtfully, trying to determine if there was a hole in his plan.

"Yeah. Since we're going in at midnight tomorrow, there's time for Ezra to show Sabine the way, if she doesn't know already. Maybe they can do a little surveillance, as well."

"Good." Hera nodded. "We'll keep Zeb under wraps as long as possible. With those droids lurking around, we don't know what they might be looking for or what will tip them off." She thought a moment. "Kanan. Tell me more about the 'darksiders.'"

"Not much more than I told you earlier…I could feel one of them on the transport. When I was meditating, I felt both of them; I'll recognize them if I see them again. But the dark side is tricky. As soon as you think you know what you're dealing with, you don't. The best strategy will be to avoid them altogether."

"But if we do encounter them?"

"Run," he said to her. "You've got to get them out. Don't wait for me."

"Wait. What do you mean?" She had curled back up into the chair, but now she uncurled herself and leaned forward.

"Hera. I will hold them back as long as I can, but I won't be able to hold them back forever." His eyes were saying more than his words, but she didn't want to understand.

"But…"

"Come on." He took her hand.

She followed him into the common area, which was deserted. She watched as he clicked together two pieces from his belt. It was a lightsaber. Here, he felt safe enough to ignite the blade, which glowed a beautiful star-like blue in the dimmed room.

He looked through the blue light to the Twi'lek's surprised eyes. "If I have to fight them with this, you need to get those kids away, Hera. I won't win; I'm too rusty; but I can hold them off for a while."

"No…The risk…"

"Hera. My Jedi Master died to save me fourteen years ago. I'm not letting anyone else die for me…do you understand?" The desperation in his sudden gaze made her nod, even though it was unwillingly.

He disengaged his blade, clipped it on his belt and took her hand. He pulled her close. "I said this morning that you reminded me of the person I used to be. And…I meant that."

She looked up into his eyes, and the kiss that had been on hold all day was finally complete. At first, his mouth was gentle on her own, but as their urgency built, his teeth nipped at her bottom lip and she returned the gesture, just as hungry for him. Finally, they parted from each other, both of them breathing heavily.

"Been a long time since I've been kissed like that," she sighed, looking at him with fiery want in her eyes.

"Never had a kiss like that." He replied, the same expression in his eyes.

"You never…? OH!" She remembered, all of a sudden, asking her father how Jedi got married. She could have only been six or seven years old. He had told her they weren't allowed. Jedi were devoted to their work and above those types of attachments, he had explained. She blushed as she realized what she had done; and how inappropriate it could have been. "I shouldn't have…assumed…."

Kanan shook his head, searching her face and realizing what she was thinking. "No. I HAVE, just not…not like that. That was…amazing."

"Oh…" she nodded, feeling relieved. Then she smiled, clearly teasing him, "Was it the person, or the technique…that made it…amazing?"

"Definitely the person," he said with a smile, "although I have to say, the technique was flawless too."

She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking into his eyes. This could be trouble—for both of them.

"I…I should go." He murmured, still holding her hand. "I need to practice." He detached his saber and brought it up between them in his free hand.

She nodded. "I understand." Impulsively, she rocked up on her toes and brushed her lips against his own for a brief moment, intending it to be a goodnight kiss. He let out a soft growl and used a touch on the side of her face to pull them together for another heated kiss.

After he'd kissed her breathless again, he took a step back and toward the cargo bay, even though it was the last thing he wanted to do. "Okay." He said, more to steady himself as he took another step back. He still clung to her hand, however.

She smiled. "Goodnight, Kanan."

"Goodnight, Hera." Before she could call him back, he had turned and was gone.

* * *

He had been tired when he finally hit the bunk, but sleep eluded him. Practicing his saberwork for the first time in years had been both calming and worrying. The actual act of working through the forms had been comforting, but after so long, he knew his bladework was sloppy and imprecise. If there were darksiders that he had to face like this, chances were that he would have little to worry about; he'd be dead long before they could drag him to Mustafar. That thought was oddly comforting somehow.

It wasn't that he was suicidal; after Raleesh, he'd been trying to put that behind him. But if he lost his life while saving the rest of the team and the poor Jedi that was in the clutches of the Inquisitors, he was willing to make the trade. Maybe that was what Depa had been trying to do for him, back on Kaller, he thought. What Jedi would not have traded their life for another's?

Memories flooded back, weighing him down like chains. Voices of Jedi he'd known, the voice of his Master, fragments of past battles like Kardoa, Mygeeto, and Kaller…all of them kept him tossing and turning for long hours-the more so because he knew he would soon be back in battle again.

Frustrated, he sat up on the bed, not exactly sure what he intended to do when he felt a trickle, then a rushing river of panic. He stood and headed to the door, grabbing his lightsaber and yanking a grey shirt over his head. Had there been noise, he would have woken Zeb, but he had the feeling that this was not an attack. Still, he wanted to be certain.

It was still the middle of the night. The lights were low and he heard no movement, but the panic sharpened.

His feet were silent on the floor as he walked over the cool metal step by step, heading into the darkened common area, where he sensed the source of the panic.

There was a click behind him.

He turned, seeing Sabine huddled in the darkness against the side of a storage closet in the corner, one of her Westars pointed at Kanan.

He held up both hands, then laid the lightsaber at his feet. The girl hadn't slept. Her face was streaked with tears and she was shivering. "Sabine…" Kanan began slowly. "It's me."

She dropped the blaster into her lap and buried her face against her knees, but her panic eased a bit. "I'm sorry," she laughed bitterly. "Seems like I'm always pointing a blaster at you."

"Hey. You're not the first, and you won't be the last. If I haven't done something to deserve it yet, stick around. I'm sure I will." He knelt beside her.

She looked up at his self-deprecating humor and wiped at her face self-consciously. "I don't sleep that well," she whispered, trying to explain.

He pushed feelings of calm and safety to her through the Force. The dark side flowed unevenly around her, in dark eddies and whirls, the aftermath of her bad dream. He funneled the light to her, and it brought her anxiety back down to a manageable level. Had there been some of the Jedi Order's most skilled psychic healers, they could have done more to heal her mental state. What he had done was only temporary, but it would help for the time being. It was the best he could do.

"Eh. Sleep is overrated." Kanan replied, giving her a smile. "Hey, come on. I'll make some tea. Or some caf…or whatever I can find in here." He held a hand out to her to pull her to her feet. She took it.

When they reached the Dejarik table, Kanan laid down his lightsaber and gestured to the booth. He rummaged around in the kitchen and when he came back, a few minutes later, he had two mugs in his hands. "Here."

"What's this?" Sabine asked, looking down into the cup.

"Hot chocolate." Kanan sipped his own.

She tried it and smiled. "I like it."

They sat there for long moments, just sipping the warm drinks. Kanan didn't try to talk about her bad dream, or what was upsetting her. He didn't offer her worthless platitudes either. When she realized it, she began to relax even more; knowing he was not going to pry made him feel "safe" to be around.

After a long while, the eddies and whirls of the dark side around her had faded away. She sat back, holding her mug in both hands and staring down into it, her eyes growing heavy. "You and Ezra are a lot alike."

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah. You are both very calming to be around." Sabine murmured slowly. "That one of those Force things?"

"I suppose it might be," he said, watching as she moved to lean her head on her hand. Sabine nodded at his words and stared into her cup.

"Ezra said he trusts you." Sabine spoke softly, after a time. "So, if he trusts you, I will too."

"Thanks." He said, feeling that her trust was a gift that not many were lucky enough to get. "Were you angry at Ezra, for not telling you about…everything?"

Her head was on her forearm, her eyes closed, but she looked up at his question. "No." One brown eye watched him through her silver fall of hair. "He wasn't trying to be dishonest. And besides, no one ever tells everything."

"True." He agreed, wondering what other secrets the young woman carried inside.

She brushed her fingertips against the silver surface of his lightsaber. "What was it like, being a Jedi?"

"It's been a long time…" Kanan murmured. She raised an eyebrow at him, which spurred him to give some sort of answer. "It was…having a family. It took the best of you and made it even better. When the Jedi fell…I lost everyone that had ever cared about me. And everyone I cared about."

She was quiet for long moments, then he saw she was blinking back tears. There was a tremor in her voice when she answered. "Then you and I do have something in common, Jarrus." She squeezed her eyes shut and placed her head on her arm again. After a moment, she wiped under her eyes with her fingers.

"Yeah." He sat back, watching her as she fell into an uneasy slumber. When she began to show signs of a bad dream, he reached out and brushed his fingertips against her forearm, using the Force to send feelings of calm and safety. After a moment, she quieted and she fell back into a dreamless sleep. Kanan stayed there, sentinel over her sleep, until dawn came and the ship began to wake up around them.

* * *

Late that afternoon, Kanan was sitting in Zeb's quarters meditating when he heard everyone return from their outing to prepare things for the mission that night. He stretched himself, stood up and saw that four hours had passed while he'd been meditating. Zeb, Sabine and Ezra were supposed to have gone into the sewer tunnels, observed what they could and placed explosives for later. The exit from the tunnels was near a storage area on the other side of the complex. If they used the sewer as an escape and were pursued, they would be able to collapse the tunnel behind them and slow down any pursuit.

Plan B was to have Hera pick them up. There was the usual landing pad attached to the complex, so Hera could set down there, if need be. The spaceport was so nearby that even if they waited until the last possible moment, Hera would still make it to them in time without drawing attention too soon. Going out hot like that was not ideal, but it was an option. And if for some crazy reason there was no pursuit, they would use the tunnels and get away clean.

He left the cockpit and headed for the common area. There was the scent of takeout food, and Hera entered the kitchen, followed by Zeb and Sabine who were discussing the charges they'd set in the sewers. They all went over the plan one more time as they ate. By the time they were done, they broke up to check equipment and get ready.

* * *

Sabine and Zeb left the Ghost first, to give them time to get in position before Kanan and Ezra made their way to headquarters. Their walk through the city was uneventful and they reached the entrance of the Imperial complex right on time.

Like they'd expected, they were stopped by a trooper briefly. Sabine had created records on the two of them, so that if the trooper checked their credentials, everything verified. "Which part of the complex are you headed to, trooper?" The guard asked.

Kanan's voice came across the internal comm in the helmet. "Detention block. Cadet's studying the operations of detention centers."

"This late? Kind of strange. What's your operating number?"

"PL2777." Kanan replied. The trooper began searching it on the nearby terminal.

Ezra spoke up. "My superior told me it was better to come late when I wouldn't be disturbing normal operations."

"It's still irregular…"

Kanan spoke up immediately, his voice becoming stiff with indignation and procedure. "Very well. I will inform Lieutenant Jaeth that you refused to admit his cadet. What's your operating number?"

"I'm not saying…" The guard sighed. "Look. We're on increased security, that's all. I'm sure everything's in order." He apparently saw Kanan's credentials on the screen in front of him, and he looked back up nervously. "Go on through, Cadet. Good luck."

"Yes, sir." Ezra saluted and he went through the door. Kanan followed him, then took the lead.

"Left up here." Ezra murmured into his helmet's comm after switching it to the private channel Sabine had set up for them.

"Got it." Kanan took the correct hallway, then continued down the hall, making turns as Ezra directed him. Finally, he could sense the muted Force presence he'd felt yesterday on the shuttle. He hadn't detected the darksiders, and if they were here, they were hiding their presences well.

Finally, they reached the middle of the complex, where the detention cells were. The detention area was a wheel with four spokes, arranged around a central desk. The persons sitting at the desk had a clear view of each corridor. Thus, they could see anyone coming or going with inmates. He frowned under his mask and extended his senses again. Yes. The Force signature was coming from the far hallway.

The two of them approached the two Imperial officers and stormtrooper at the desk. "Cadet, Trooper. You do not have clearance to be here," said one of the officers said in clipped tones.

"The cadet is here under Lieutenant Jaeth's orders…" Kanan began, stepping forward. He reached up and removed his mask, and when he had it in his hands, the other trooper had his weapon drawn. It seemed they had been expecting something like this.

"Just back up, nice and easy," said the Imperial who had been seated. "Call upstairs." He motioned to the other Imperial in a black uniform.

Kanan pushed hard with the Force. "You don't need to call anyone. In fact, you have all been ordered to leave the area now." He said softly, as if making a suggestion.

The Imperial at the comm stopped what he was doing and turned to look at the trooper, who lowered the blaster.

"What are you doing? He's a Jedi!" The lead Imperial screamed, right before Kanan double-tapped him in the chest, twice. The Imperial at the comm drew his blaster in a smooth move and fired. Kanan's dodge was a second too late and the blast caught him in his off shoulder. The former Jedi's aim was true, however, and he caught the Imperial in the head, sending him limp to the floor. He used a Force push to send the Stormtrooper through the air and into the metal blast doors. The impact was so hard his helmet cracked, and he collapsed limp on the floor.

"We're gonna have some company." Ezra commed across their network, unsure if anyone had heard the blasts.

"We're leaving our presents for the bucketheads right now. You guys hang in there." Sabine's familiar voice, steady and sure, came back.

Kanan leaped over the desk, then pressed down on his shoulder, trying to stanch the flow of blood. The Imperial's shot had gone between the pauldron and the breastplate. Now that their cover was probably blown, he reached into the Force to dull the pain of the wound and sharpen the rest of his senses. After tapping on the computer terminal, he called to Ezra, who now had his blaster drawn. "Down the hallway to the left."

They both headed in that direction. Kanan in the lead while Ezra came behind, turned to watch their back. No one appeared. In fact, it was eerie how quiet it was, and a cold snake of fear began to unwind in Ezra's gut. "Something's wrong…" he whispered.

"I feel it too." Kanan replied.

They came to the end of the hallway. With a movement of Kanan's hands, the door began to groan, then to slide open. There was a dim presence in the Force inside. The Jedi must be drugged, he thought as he gritted his teeth and pulled with the Force once more to open the door.

There was no noise. They entered the cell, seeing a container that looked like some sort of medical pod. It was positioned flat on the metal bench, and Kanan approached, every sense thrumming that something was really wrong here.

As he came close, a viewing port on the metallic casket made it possible to see the face inside. It was Master Luminara Unduli, and she'd been dead a long time.

"Force…" He breathed, the horrible realization dawning on him. "It's a trap, Ezra." He turned back to scan the face of the Jedi Master that he had known-such a painful reminder of the past felt like a blow to the head. He couldn't seem to think straight. His master had told him to save the Jedi. What had she meant? The Jedi was dead. Nothing seemed to make sense.

Ezra could see the desiccated remains in the coffin-like stasis chamber. Cold panic seeped into his body. This was the Jedi? This was bad. He looked up at Kanan, noticing the blood streaking his shoulder for the first time. With numb fingers, he found the button of his comm. "Abort," he said. "It's a trap."

"Those one-eyed egg-sucking sons of slime devils…" Zeb's angry voice came across the comm.

"Rendezvous at point A." Sabine's calm voice came over the comm. There was a possible exit near the armory. They would have to go through a grating in the floor, slip into the sewers and run.

His expression was hard as he reached down and set an explosive, making sure that no other Jedi would fall into this trap. He'd set it off as a distraction once they were further away. He thought in his mind, _Master Luminara, you deserve a better funeral…_ He'd just have to hope that she would understand.

"Your arm…" Ezra noticed the fresh stream of blood at the former Jedi's movement.

"It's not important. Stick close." He led the way down the corridor and they came out into the central area once more. A red blaster bolt shot in Kanan's direction, but the Force warned him this time. He ducked and pulled Ezra down just in time.

They returned fire, and they took down three of the troopers shooting at them before ducking back in. Kanan steadied himself with a deep breath, gathering the Force within him. Then he stepped out and felled the other three troopers as their desperate blaster bolts hit all around him.

Kanan holstered his blaster, then snapped together the two parts of his lightsaber and reattached it to his belt so he would be ready if he needed it. The thrumming energy in the Force seemed to say that this battle wasn't over yet. "Let's go."

They stepped over the dead and moved back into the main passageway they had taken. When they had taken several turns, Kanan set off the explosion he'd placed in the cell. After it boomed, there were several echoing explosions in different parts of the complex. Kanan hoped they would be able to reach the rendezvous point before they were found by the darksiders.

Ezra commed Sabine and let her know they were on the way. They passed several troopers, who upon seeing the blood on Kanan's armor, took them for wounded. One of them even directed Ezra and Kanan to the medbay.

"This way-short cut to the storage area." Ezra said as they turned a corner, entered another of the labyrinthine hallways, then took another turn.

Three figures were facing them. Suddenly, Ezra felt the temperature drop so low that his breath could be seen in the air. One of the figures, a Mirialan female, was in front, while the other figure, a Pau'an, was holding a man in binders. Kanan recognized their Force-signatures. He did not recognize the bound man, but he could tell the prisoner was a Jedi. The brown-haired man raised an eyebrow at Kanan, and a smile crossed his lips as if he'd just found an advantage he hadn't expected.

Kanan drew his lightsaber with one hand and holstered his blaster with the other. "Ezra. Find another way." He said, in a voice that brooked no argument. He dared not turn around, danger hung in the air like a poisonous vapor.

Ezra walked backwards a few steps, transfixed by the advancing woman like a Loth-rat would be mesmerized by a Loth-cat. "Not without you…"

"Two Jedi in one night, Seventh Sister. I would say that our trap has worked beyond our initial expectations." The Pau'an pushed his captured Jedi to his knees, holding the haft of his lightsaber to the human's head. All it would take would be one pulse of his fingers and the blade would ignite and kill the bound Jedi instantly.

Kanan watched the female pull a strange-looking lightsaber from a holster on her back. It was a double-bladed one, he saw, as its bloody red light filled the hallway. That made things more complicated. Gathering the light around him, he extended his own blade parallel to the floor, in Form III's ready stance. He lowered his center of gravity and waited.

The one called the Seventh Sister clicked her tongue against her teeth as she tilted her head to the side. "He's injured, and won't be able to put up much of a fight. I was hoping to have some time to play with him before we took him down. Must not be much of a Jedi if he can't avoid a blaster bolt."

Kanan gritted his teeth. "Are you planning on fighting me, or talking me to death because I prefer the former."

Ezra fired a blaster bolt from behind him, which the female deflected with the barest twitch of her blade.

"Ezra, GO!" Kanan could feel the kid behind him, dazed with the hypnotic fear of the dark side. This time, however, he had added a note to his voice that seemed to break through the kid's haze. Before either of the darksiders could do anything, the kid was gone.

Kanan breathed a sigh of relief. Now he just had to hold his own against this Mirialan.

The female darksider stepped forward, throwing a few casual attacks up to see what Kanan would do. They were easy to parry, and Kanan realized, as he grounded himself in the Force and saw more clearly, that she was trying to draw him out into a riposte. That would allow her to observe him and plan her offense.

But Kanan knew better. His form might be lacking, but he'd been trained by Depa Billaba, the best Form III practitioner in the Jedi Temple, and he could hold out a long time. Long enough to maybe even figure out how to get the Jedi across the hallway out of this. _Save the Jedi_ —this must have been what she meant; and, imperfect as he was, he meant to try.

* * *

Kanan retreated at the sudden onrush of both darksiders. He locked blades with the female, who continued forcing her blade forward until Kanan could feel the skin of his forearm blistering under the heat. She was unnaturally strong, but he wasn't surprised. He gathered the Force within and pushed the female Inquisitor backwards at least ten feet to gain a respite.

"Form III." The female Mirialan sneered. "There were only a few at the temple who relied on it to such a foolish degree. You're Depa Billaba's little brat, aren't you?"

Kanan felt a rush of anger at hearing his master's name spoken. "You know nothing about my Master."

"I know more than you might think." She took advantage of Kanan's unbalance to slash at him. It was a shallow wound into the Jedi's other shoulder, but it would hamper his bladework and make him easier to defeat. "I, too, served the light until I realized how utterly weak it was. But my anger was stronger, like yours."

Kanan lifted his saber again, ignoring the pain of the lightsaber burn into his shoulder. "There's no kriffing way you were a Jedi," he spat, blocking two of the Inquisitor's blows, He was finally goaded into pressing an attack.

The Inquisitor smiled at Kanan as she blocked his swing. That was the point at which Kanan knew for certain he would not win. She was trying to tire him out, like he was a wounded Sabercat. "It's almost a pity to have to ruin you."

Kanan retreated a few steps. He was losing hope, but then he felt a strong urge from the Force. **_Forward_** , it seemed to say. If he could push her back into the Pau'an holding the other Jedi hostage, he might be able to give the dark-eyed man a chance to turn the tables. He quickly flicked his eyes to the brown haired Jedi, then gathered himself and pushed his attack, throwing the last of his energy into several powerful fleches. As he hit her the last time however, he didn't parry her blade far enough and her saber caught him in the side. However, he didn't feel the pain immediately, as he pushed with the Force and threw her into the Pau'an. It was only after he completed the move, that the pain struck and he went down on one knee, gasping for breath.

The captured Jedi immediately took his advantage. The Mirialan's lightsaber had fallen and in one fluid motion, the Jedi called it to his hand and the binders fell off. He began to fight the Pau'an, obviously proficient with a saberstaff himself.

The Mirialan had gotten to her feet. She raised a hand and threw Kanan against the far wall, her face twisted in cruel enjoyment. "I'm going to enjoy watching you fight for air," she clenched her fist and Kanan felt cold iron around his throat.

He tried to struggle, but it was no use. He'd lost enough blood from his shoulder wound to be woozy and the pain from his side was becoming a white-hot agony. Black spots began to steal his vision and he closed his eyes, preferring his last sight not to be the face of the smirking Mirialan. Then there was a sound of fire and force and everything went dark.

* * *


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, I'm posting two chapters of this a day until I catch up with where I currently am with this story. So make sure you read all of them, or you might be confused.   
> Thanks for all the great reviews. It really makes my day when someone likes what I've created. It's the best feeling in the whole world.

**Chapter 9**

There was light and heat and a rushing noise in his ears.

Kanan became aware of it slowly, as if he were lying under a steadily brightening sunrise. He was on Raleesh. He was lying on a pink sand beach, listening to the waves. It must be his day off from the bar, he thought. Some pretty college girl had probably dragged him out here, and being hung over (a natural state for him), he had fallen asleep in the sun. He just hoped that this time, he could remember her name from the night before.

"Still with me?"

Okay. That was definitely not the sound of a pretty college girl. He frowned and slowly blinked his eyes. A kind, but unfamiliar face was looking down at him. "This place is about to come down around our ears, young one."

Pain slammed into him as soon as he tried to sit up. "Just shoot me. It'll be faster," he groaned. Looking around, he saw rubble, and underneath the chunks of collapsed ceiling were the black boots of the female Inquisitor. Things started making sense. Suddenly, the world began to gray out again, then he felt a touch on his forehead and heard some soft whispers. The pain lessened to a roar instead of a shriek, and he was able to think a bit better.

"How's that?" the Jedi asked.

He nodded, afraid to look down to see the source of the pain. "What happened?"

"A very fortuitous explosion, my friend."

"Sabine." Kanan tried to laugh, but it turned into a groan immediately.

Marellus leaned Kanan against a wall, while he checked the rest of his rescuer's injuries: a blaster wound, couple of lightsaber burns, and a larger wound caused by the Mirialan's blade. When the ceiling had collapsed, a piece of rebar from the duracrete had impaled his thigh, as well, but the bone did not appear to be broken. None of the wounds would be fatal by themselves, but altogether they were concerning. "My name is Marellus Varro, and if you have an escape plan, perhaps we should implement it now while I still have a chance at getting you out of here."

"I'm Kanan Jarrus." Nausea threatened when he looked down and saw the durasteel protruding from the flesh of his leg. Ok, no looking. He groped for his comm and found that his hand was still reflexively holding his lightsaber. He attached it to his belt, missing the loop twice before he hooked it on. Then the comm. "Hera? Please tell me you're there…" he asked, his voice raspy from the female Inquisitor's attack.

"Oh my gods, Kanan…what happened? No one could reach you."

"Yeah, sorry. I was out of commission for a few."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. Little spacer's tape and a shot of jet-juice, and I'll be good as new. Uh...Hera, this whole thing was a trap…there was no imprisoned Jedi, but…we ended up finding one anyway." He glanced to Marellus as the Jedi supported him on his bad side. He gestured in the direction in front of them and they began picking their way over the rubble in the hallway. "Is there…any way you could pick us up in the courtyard?" He let out a gasp of pain as his foot shifted and he fell against the Jedi, who steadied him. "It would be a big help."

"I'm on my way," she said quickly.

"We need five minutes to get there. Movin' a bit slow."

"Don't worry. I'll be there."

On their way to a back exit, they saw the whole compound was in chaos. Rubble was scattered everywhere and the troopers were disorganized. Kanan found himself wondering if the Pau'an Inquisitor had been killed in the explosion as well. It certainly seemed like it because they didn't see him on their way out.

His new friend took care of the scattered troopers who fired at them, which was good because it took everything Kanan had to stay upright.

They broke out of the complex and into the courtyard about seven minutes after their last comm transmission, and the _Ghost_ set down gently in front of them. A TIE swooped over but missed its shots, in typical buckethead style. The ramp opened and Kanan and Marellus limped inside.

"Sabine and Zeb got out safe. They're making their way through the sewers." Hera used the ship's internal comm to reach them.

"Wait. Ezra…" Kanan's eyes widened in a panic. "Ezra didn't make it to them?" Marellus had laid him gently against the wall in the bay, but he sat up, calling Ezra on his comm. "Ezra, come in. Ezra!" There was no response. Kanan fell back with a groan.

"Stay here. I'll find out." The Jedi put a hand on his chest and eased him back down. Then he climbed the ladder to the top and rapidly made his way to the cockpit.

Chopper squealed when Marellus entered, and extended his shock prod. "Careful there," the Jedi murmured to the droid, not ruffled by his aggressive behavior in the least.

"Chop stop it." Hera threw a quick glance over her shoulder. "Where's Kanan?"

"Below. He is worried about the young one. Ezra?" He asked as he slid effortlessly into the co-pilot's seat and studied the firing controls for a moment.

"He's not with you two?" The troopers had set up heavy blasters and Hera knew they couldn't go back. There just wasn't time. She angled the ship as she took off, giving the Imps less of a target and took another hit that glanced off the armor plating before she was in the air.

"No. He left after Kanan told him to." Marellus saw that they had three TIEs on their tail. He took a shot, and missed. "I think Kanan assumed he'd reached your friends."

"Damn it!" She growled, hitting her comm. "Zeb, Sabine. Ezra might still be in the complex."

"We'll go back." Zeb said immediately. "Do you have Kanan?"

"Yes. Kanan and the target. Is there any other way Ezra could have gotten out?"

There was a pause while they discussed it. "We're not sure."

"Check it out and comm me. We've got to get off planet for a bit. Zeb, please try and find him." Her voice broke a little.

"I will, Hera. Lay low."

Marellus blew up a TIE, and they zoomed through the debris as they hit the upper atmosphere. "How long before we can make the jump to lightspeed?"

She glanced over briefly. "Chopper?" The droid warbled back. "He says three minutes."

Marellus nodded. His hands gripped the controls more tightly and he tapped into the Force.

"Take the shot." Hera called, having to bank the ship sharply to avoid the blasts of another TIE.

"Wait," he whispered, allowing the Force to guide his hands. Seemingly at the last possible moment, he fired.

"Kriff me, that was a good shot." Hera breathed, watching another TIE explode into bits that bounced off the ship's shields. Five more TIEs dropped from the cruisers in orbit. "Can you do that five more times?" she asked as she struggled to fly her way between turbolaser blasts.

"I'll do my best," he replied with a smile. Together, they took down three more TIEs before Chopper completed the jump calculations. When the blue lines of hyperspace were zooming by, she let out a sigh and finally got her first good look at the Jedi.

He was as tall as Kanan, but much older. His hair was long and brown, just like his beard and both were shot through with gray. "Thank you, for the assist," she breathed, looking around. "Where's…where's Kanan?"

"The cargo bay. He's badly injured, I'm afraid. You have a medkit?"

Hera looked grave. "I'll get it."

Marellus nodded, slid down the ladder quickly and rejoined Kanan, who had made his way to the ladder, but collapsed next to it. It was evident he'd been trying to ascend to the upper level.

There was a small pool of blood under the Padawan's leg, and he was pale. "Ezra." He said softly, grabbing the cuff of Marellus's shirt. "Where's the kid?"

"Your friends are going back for him." Marellus began to undo the buckles of the armor strapped to Kanan's body when the injured man began to struggle.

"No. We have to go back. Ezra…" He said again, trying to get to his feet.

Marellus narrowed his eyes and held Kanan's shoulders so that he wouldn't do more damage to himself trying to stand. "We're in hyperspace, there's nothing you can do." He said, laying his fingertips against Kanan's temple. "Sleep, Padawan."

Kanan resisted at first, but exhausted as he was, he gave in to Marellus's suggestion. The Jedi resumed removing armor as Hera rejoined them.

"Fraking hells," she knelt immediately and pulled out the handheld medscanner. "What happened? Were there darksiders?"

"Yes, Inquisitors." Marellus said gravely, removing the melted and burned pauldron. "They were nothing to be trifled with. He fought bravely."

"That's my hero," she said, a twist to her lips as she pulled bacta and spray bandage from the kit. They got Kanan's shirt off and attended to the burn wounds and the blaster hole in his shoulder. There were shreds of the body glove and a jagged piece of plastoid in the wound, which Hera removed as carefully as possible. Still Kanan groaned in his sleep. Marellus placed his hand over Kanan's forehead and the drifter quieted.

"You're using the Force," she said softly, noticing the gentle touch of the Jedi's tattooed hand and the reaction it caused in Kanan.

"Yes," he nodded.

Hera moved her attention to the thigh wound. Marellus slowly pulled off the leg plating, sliding it up and off of the metal impaling Kanan. He glanced up at Hera. "You're going to need a laser cauterizer. The major artery is not hit, but there could be additional bleeding."

She retrieved it. "Ready?" he asked.

She nodded as Marellus grabbed the metal spike and pulled it smoothly from the wound. A tiny amount of blood seeped out, but Marellus held his hand near the wound. The bleeding stopped.

"Oh my gods. You're even able to slow the bleeding?" She asked, using the cauterizer quickly.

"Yes…I have some aptitude and training in Force healing." He replaced his hand on Kanan's forehead as he began to groan. "Sleep, young one." He murmured, using the Force to push back the pain to more tolerable levels.

Hera sealed the wound, added bacta and then gave Kanan medicine for pain. "How do we get him to a bed?"

"I can take care of that." Marellus held his hand out and Kanan rose into the air. He gently moved the injured Jedi to the top level as Hera climbed the ladder.

Together they got Kanan into the closest room, which was the one Ezra had been occupying. Hera made him as comfortable as possible, then turned to the Jedi.

"He will probably sleep with all the painkiller I gave him." She set the medscanner on a nearby flat surface and set it to alarm if Kanan came back to consciousness or if his vitals fluctuated. "It's a short jump; they'll be expecting us to go farther, but I'm stopping at Garel. We'll hide out there until we get more information from Zeb. Are you hungry? Caf?"

Marellus nodded. "Just caf."

"C'mon, and you can fill me in…" Hera said as they made their way to the common area.

* * *

The Grand Inquisitor slammed Agent Kallus against the wall and held him there with the Force. "Explain to me again how you let the Jedi escape on a ship that LANDED ON AN IMPERIAL LANDING PAD!" He leaned forward, so that his face took up the agent's entire view. Blood still flowed down his visage from a head injury, giving him a fearsome appearance. As if the dead grey face, yellow eyes and red tattoos weren't bad enough.

As the agent faltered for a moment, the Inquisitor called his lightsaber to his hand and ignited it, ready and eager to use it. He held his anger in check, however, and waited to see if the ISB agent would say something to save himself.

"There was a lot of confusion with the explosions…" The Agent began. The Inquisitor brought the red glowing blade close to the Agent's face, insane hatred barely held at bay in his molten yellow eyes. Slowly an invisible vise began to tighten around Kallus's throat. "But several of my officers did ca…capt…. "

The grip around his throat lessened enough for him to talk again, and he breathlessly continued, "…a boy. They captured a boy. The one seen with the Jedi on the surveillance tapes."

"A boy." The Inquisitor smiled, and leaned back, letting the grateful ISB agent sink to the ground. "Let us see this boy, Agent Kallus." Perhaps this would make up for the loss of Seven. She was in the medical center, but not expected to live through the night.

"Of course, Grand Inquisitor." Kallus coughed to clear his raspy voice. "Follow me."

* * *

Ezra came back to consciousness slowly, opening his eyes and looking around the plain grey cell. He was strapped down, unable to move, in some sort of interrogation chair. He was facing the door, and could see nothing.

He tugged on the straps holding down his arms, and then checked the ones holding down his legs. They were completely secure. Okay, so he would do something else if struggling was no good. He tried to remember how he'd been captured. He had been angling around to try and sneak up on the Inquisitor from behind, but he'd been hit by something hard. He could feel the ache on the left side, where the blow had come from, and he could see the blood that had flowed from his head wound on his uniform.

The door swished open and Ezra could see there were two trooper guards outside, equipped with blaster rifles. Then his eyes focused on the two figures coming in the door.

The Inquisitor who had held the brown-haired man captive was there, along with a blond-haired Imperial that he didn't know.

"You don't look much better than me." Ezra said, seeing the blood streaking the Inquisitor's gray visage.

To his shock, the Inquisitor hauled off and punched him in the face. He could feel blood pouring from his nose as the Pau'an grinned at him. "Now I do." He said, simply.

Ezra groaned in pain as the Inquisitor grabbed his head by the hair and yanked his face up cruelly. "What is your full name, boy?"

"Jabba. The. Hutt." Ezra spat, blood spraying as he struggled to breathe through his mouth. The blood flowing from his nose seemed to be trying to drown him.

The creature's next punch split his lip. It seemed the Inquisitor was in the mood for violence. Apparently, they'd really kriffed up his day, Ezra realized and the thought made him smile.

"Who are you working with?" The Inquisitor asked.

"I work alone."

"Yes, boy. You do now. Your friend, the Jedi. He didn't make it."

Ezra showed nothing. If this Pau'an did kill Kanan, he wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing the pain his words caused.

"It's best if you tell us what you know…Ezra." The blond Imperial stepped forward. "What is your full name?"

"Kriff off." Ezra rasped though the pain jabbing him in the face and head.

"Very well," the Inquisitor said. "Bring in the interrogation unit, Agent Kallus. It seems Jabba wants to do this the hard way."

* * *

Zeb turned around to give Sabine privacy as she changed clothes in the alcove. After hearing about Ezra being left behind, they had thrown together a plan. Knowing that Zeb would be identified right away as part of the initial rebel group, Sabine had grabbed an extra cadet uniform from Ezra's alcove. She would probably be able to slip in and find out what was going on, possibly without alerting attention. It was dangerous and there was no one that could really back her up, but the risk was worth it.

"Kit, sending you in like this…I still don't like it."

"I'll be okay. At least we can find out if they're holding Ezra and where…" She settled a helmet over her head, hiding her non-regulation hair color. "I bet there'll be a lot of cadets in there for clean-up, so no one will question one more. And I have an ID set up in the system as well, if there are any questions."

She turned, tucking her blaster into the holster and Zeb took her gently by both shoulders, surprising her. "Sabine. Careful in there. If they pinpointed him as one of us, then they'll have extra guards on him and you won't be able to get him out. Find out what's going on, then come back and we'll report to Hera."

"Yeah." She nodded. "I got it." A part of her worried, however, that this might be the exact time to get Ezra out, if he was indeed captured. The Imperials would be disorganized and confused. Waiting around, they might miss their chance. She shook her head, to clear it. Zeb was probably right, but if Ezra was in there and Hera wasn't planning on coming back to get him _right away_ , then she was going in with or without Zeb. Ezra would have done it for her without hesitation. "Zeb…" she began slowly, lifting her eyes to his own.

"Yeah?"

"I can't leave until you let my shoulders go." Her eyes darted to him, then to his hands.

He shook his head. "Sorry, kit." He dropped his hands and let her lead the way. He would follow her to the sewer entrance and they would check to see if she could slip in or not. The entrance had been hidden by crates and it was out of camera shot. Sabine had also disabled the security cameras in the storage room, so it was a safe bet that the entrance hadn't been discovered.

When they reached the grating, Zeb pushed it to the side and gave her a boost into the hole. "I'll be right here," he whispered. "Comm me at the first sign of any trouble."

"Got it." She flashed him a grin, then hit the faceplate on her helmet to hide her features. She gave him a thumbs up and was gone.

"Ashla, watch over her." Zeb muttered while he fitted the grating back into place and sat down to wait.

* * *

When Kanan awoke, wrapped in bandages and a haze of painkillers, he was surprised. This didn't look like a trip to Mustafar. He glanced around the room and recognized the Ghost's familiar contours. Right. The Jedi. Their escape. Ezra.

He sat up at that one, ignoring the pain in his side and leg. He glanced down and saw that he was bandaged in those places as well. Someone had gotten him out of the dirty and bloody stormtrooper armor, and dressed him in sleep clothes, but how could he sleep? He couldn't sleep while Ezra was still out there. He ran his hands through his loose brown hair to get it out of his face and hauled himself to his feet with a groan.

Next to him something began to beep, but he ignored it as he staggered to the door and slapped the keypad clumsily until it opened.

There was movement to his left, and he turned that way, using the wall as a support as he stepped out into the common area. And then Hera was there on one side, and the Jedi on the other.

"Kanan…just what do you think you're doing?" Hera placed her arm under his own as she spoke.

"Ezra. We've gotta go back for him." He realized how his throat hurt when he tried to speak; the Mirialan had squeezed it hard enough to leave deep bruises.

"I understand but..." Marellus said, tucking his arm under Kanan's shoulder and turning him back towards the room, "…we have some news for you, just lie back down first."

They walked Kanan back to the bed and got him settled under the blanket again. Marellus stepped out to get some water for Kanan, while Hera laid down the law. "Kanan Jarrus, so help me, if you don't stay in that bunk, I will keep you down around the clock." She brandished a sprayhypo at him. "I have enough painkiller to keep you unconscious for a month."

He nodded, accepting the cup of water from Marellus. He took a swallow and eased back down against the pillows. "Ezra…"

"Your Sabine went in about six hours ago to see if he was there, and she found him. He isin Imperial custody." Marellus said.

"We're headed back to Lothal now." Hera said, reaching out to take the cup from Kanan. "We're going to pick Zeb and Sabine up and decide how best to get Ezra back."

"I thought he got out with Zeb and Sabine." Kanan said softly, his voice a whisper. He had sent the kid away, thinking he would rendezvous and escape with them through the tunnels. This was all his fault. "I thought…"

Marellus pulled up a chair, sat down and reached out to lay a hand on Kanan's shoulder. "No, young one. You cannot blame yourself."

Kanan got his first good look at Marellus as he leaned closer. He was a lot older than he seemed to be, his dark brown hair and beard shot through with strands of gray. There were lines around his dark brown eyes, and a scar that extended from his eyebrow into his hairline; he'd obviously not escaped his life on the run unscathed either.

He didn't know exactly how to react when faced with this Jedi Master in front of him—a living reminder of everything he'd lost. The gentle cadence of his voice, and even his very movements triggered memories of Kanan's childhood in the Jedi Temple. He had not been in the company of a Jedi since his Master. And of course, that thought led him to a guilt that slammed into him like the chunk of duracrete that had knocked him senseless earlier. He had avoided the life of a Jedi, the life that obviously this Master in front of him was still devoted to. He averted his eyes, feeling a failure all around.

The current of the young one's thoughts was apparent to Varro. He, too, had gone through the horrible guilt of being a survivor. At the time of the order, he'd been a Master for over eight years. Varro had been visiting a small Jedi meditation shrine, built into the side of a mountain over a vergence on Eulean. Clone troopers broke in to the Temple to kill him and any others they could find, but he'd been the only Jedi in the shrine, except for the elderly Jedi caretaker. The troopers had split up, finding Marellus in the main part of the temple and killing Master Tal, who had served the Jedi order for over 75 years at that shrine. The old man had been studying in the library when the troopers had filled his frail body with blaster holes.

His guilt had been worse because being near a vergence had increased the psychic effect of the murders taking place across the galaxy. The death and pain had been crushing. He did not know this Padawan's story, but he could imagine how crushing the impact would have been had he, himself, still been a child.

The troopers had closed in menacingly, muttering to themselves as they raised their blasters. It had taken everything within Marellus to push the fear down enough to act. The men—men that he had known, good men he had shed blood with—advanced on him droning "Good soldiers follow orders" emotionlessly like broken droids. Even now, that very phrase would echo in his nightmares. Just as he was about to be overrun, he'd used the Force to grab the roof of the cave and collapse it in on them all, tears streaming down his face at the loss of men who had become friends.

His fingers rubbed the scar on his forehead as he remembered waking up in the dark and following the soft, mournful glow of kyber crystals set into the wall, until he found an exit on the other side of the mountain. His new life had been born that day. Of course, he'd had the full complement of Jedi training and wisdom to sustain him, but this young one…had been forced to survive with much less training and guidance. "Captain Hera…a moment please?" He looked up at the pretty Twi'lek, who had an expression of concern on her face. Force bless her, she understood at least in part, he saw.

"Um…sure. I need to go check the helm anyway. Stay in bed, Kanan. That's a warning." She pointed a finger at him before she left the room.

When she was gone, the older man simply sat, looking at the bulkhead behind the bunk as if seeing the mysteries of the universe displayed there. After long moments, he spoke, "Did you receive the warning from Master Kenobi on your comm after it happened?" Force knew what light had given Kenobi the idea to use the Jedi beacon to warn everyone away, but it had certainly saved his own life.

Kanan nodded, sitting up with difficulty. His own eyes were far away at the memory. "Master…Master Billaba was already gone by then…"

At the sudden flood of sorrow, Marellus didn't need to ask what "gone" meant. He reached over and placed a hand on Kanan's shoulder again, lowering his head and closing his eyes in silent understanding of the same grief.

For a long time, Kanan struggled to compose himself enough to speak. When he did, his voice was steadier.

"I was returning to the temple and had just come out from hyperspace over Coruscant…when I got the message from Master Kenobi."

"And they were waiting, weren't they?" A bitter smile crossed Marellus's face.

Kanan nodded again, struggling to restrain the anger and fear the memories stirred up in him. For a moment he was that kid, back in Kasmir's ship, sure he was about to die. He hadn't thought about that night in a long time, and he shuddered.

Marellus felt the range of emotions, and allowed the young one to get them under control before he went on. "If you remember the message, Master Kenobi said…'Do not return to the temple…that time has passed. And our future will be uncertain. We will each be challenged.'" He paused a moment to let those words sink in. "Kanan, we each walk a path now that no one could have foreseen then. For the Jedi Order to fall…none could have imagined it." He steepled his tattooed fingers under his chin. "I have been to many places, Padawan. Places strong with the Force…like Jedha…and Amabala…and others. The very few Jedi that I have seen all walk a new path, far from what would have been found 'acceptable' in the Temple days."

"I have not walked the Jedi path for a long time." Kanan murmured with regret.

"Perhaps you have been walking the path you were supposed to all along, young one. What I see is this: you heard about a Jedi imprisoned by the Empire, and you came. You were ready to sacrifice everything for others. And know this," he put his hand on Kanan's shoulder again, "I would never presume to judge the path you've taken. I do believe that to be your fear, correct?" Kanan only bowed his head, but it was agreement enough. "Lay your mind to rest. You should know that my own path has led me through some darkness as well, yet always, the light shone bright enough to show the way."

Kanan looked up at the older man, his eyes searching for any dishonesty, but there was none. "I…I will meditate on what you have said, Master Varro."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Depa would be proud of you."

"You knew her?" Kanan asked with surprise as the Jedi helped him lie back against the pillows.

"Yes, but it was before she became a Master. After that, our work often took us to different sides of the galaxy. But even back then, she was brave, wise and kind." He smiled. "With a sense of humor that got her in a little trouble in her youngling days, as I remember." A bittersweet pain squeezed Kanan's heart and Marellus looked down at him with concern. "Perhaps we will talk of that, but later." Varro nodded, and placed his hand against Kanan's forehead. "But rest now, Padawan. Put your trust in the Force and find peace, if just for the moment."

Kanan was beginning to show his exhaustion again and he blinked slowly, feeling the calm of the Force flow into him from the Jedi's gentle touch. Before he realized it was happening, he was asleep.

* * *

ISB Agent Kallus stared at the video feed and tried not to wince when he saw the Inquisitor shock the boy again. The kid jerked uncontrollably in the restraints as the electricity rolled through him. Eventually, he hung limp, like a rag doll, his head lolling forward.

His stomach rolled and he had to look away. This was an enemy. Feeling sorry for the child would do nothing against the mighty justice of the Empire. This wasn't the first child that he had arrested, but usually they were sent for reeducation and were made into productive citizens in all but the most severe cases. Still, a softer voice, less often heard, reminded him that he hadn't devoted his life to the Empire in order to hunt down and torture children. He threaded his hands into his heavy blond hair and pulled hard.

 _Suck it up, Kallus_ , he told himself. _This was an enemy of the Empire_. He gathered himself, smoothed his hair down, lifted his eyes and saw with new horror that the limp child was now missing a hand. He gripped the edge of his desk so hard that his knuckles turned white. What in the Sith hells was this creature going to do to the kid? Slash him limb from…wait. It was a prosthetic, he saw with only slight relief, as the Inquisitor stripped the glove from the gleaming metallic hand. He tossed it aside on the bench in the room and returned to his prey as the child slowly woke up from whatever blessed peace he'd been able to find in unconsciousness.

Alexsandr Kallus switched off the surveillance feed, unable to watch any more. So, this was how the Empire treated children…disabled children? He shook his head slowly, leaning back in the nerf-hide chair in his office. What would Elizaveta had thought of him? What would his sister have said if she could have seen what he had become a part of?

No. Elizaveta was long dead, along with the rest of Kallus's family. The Empire was his family now. He would try to remember that, he thought, as he pushed memories of his sister from his mind. Whatever happened to this boy, he undoubtedly deserved for daring to thwart the Empire's will...

Didn't he?


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, I'm posting two of these chapters a day. Today I posted Chapter 9 and Chapter 10, so if you haven't read nine, go do that first! 
> 
> Chapter 10 has some self-harm elements, so if you're sensitive to that, please don't read it.

**Chapter 10**

Ezra cracked open his eyes in the darkened cell, a pounding reverberating inside his head.

He must have passed out. Instead of the interrogation chair, he'd been laid on the cold hard bench in the cell. He was horribly thirsty—when he licked his lips, he tasted blood. When he went to wipe his mouth, he realized that his prosthetic was gone. He had faded in and out of consciousness several times and one of those times, he'd seen the Inquisitor with the artificial hand, studying it thoughtfully. Apparently, he'd decided to take it and not give it back.

Ezra curled his damaged hand up against his chest protectively and fought back the helplessness he felt. He was alone. Kanan was most likely dead. The older man they'd seen in the Inquisitor's custody…probably dead too. He was fairly sure that Zeb and Sabine got out okay, since the last thing he'd heard on his comm was that they were in the supply room waiting on his group to get there.

So that was good. He'd try to focus on that, he thought as his bottom lip trembled. A hole opened up in his heart and his vision blurred. He would never get to tell Sabine how he felt about her. Tears pooled underneath his cheek on the cold metal. He'd never get to see his parents if they returned to Lothal. But if they were dead, maybe they would be waiting for him when the Imps were done with him. It might not be long either, he thought as he ached with the incredible pain the Inquisitor and his interrogation droid had caused. Even now, the drugs coursing through his system made him feel nauseous, dizzy and weak. And the way that the Inquisitor had pulled information from his mind…the way he'd crawled through Ezra's mind like a spider, made him want to scream and never stop.

One time, when he was younger, he'd asked Arsen if he was scared of dying in one of the many raids they'd carried out. This had been before Ezra had been hurt by the explosion, before Arsen had begun to drink so heavily that he didn't know where he was some days. The revolutionary leader had thought a moment.

_"_ _No, youngling," he'd answered thoughtfully._

_"_ _Why not?" Ezra asked, thinking that Arsen was probably the bravest person he ever known._

_"_ _It's not **when** you die…it's **how**."_

_"'_ _How?'"_

_"_ _No being in the universe has a say in **when** they die. It comes when it comes. But **how** you face it when it does come…that's something. I'm not going to live in fear of death. The measure of a man is how he lives his life and how he faces the certainty of death, kid."_

_Ezra had nodded a little. Now, remembering the scene, he could see the yellow glow of the lanterns and the expression on Jax's face as he mended a rip in Ezra's clothes that he'd probably gotten from crawling through the sewers._

_"_ _I think I understand." Ezra had said softly._

_"_ _Now that doesn't mean you help the blaster aim at you by standing still, mind you." He raised an eyebrow at Ezra. "Got it?"_

_Ezra had nodded, curling up under the blankets the old man had given him._

_"_ _Okay. No more questions tonight. How about I finish that story about the…er… Wookie?"_

_"'_ _The Loyal Wookie,'" Ezra nodded, snuggling down in the blanket, and listening as Arsen told the bedtime story from memory._

Ezra was jerked from his memory by the sound of the cell's metal door rising upwards. He backed up into the corner of the bench, wiping his face and wanting to be brave.

The tears had cut cleaner tracks in the mess of blood, but he still looked horrible, Kallus thought. The kid's lip and nose were swollen and there was an ugly black bruise under one of his eyes. And he was trembling. "Sith hells…" the agent muttered to himself, not knowing what to say. The vulnerable look in the kid's eyes tore at him.

"Boy. Here." Kallus handed over a small bottle of water. It wasn't a lot, but it was more than the kid would have gotten otherwise. He'd done some manipulation of the surveillance cameras so his trip into the cell would not be seen by the Inquisitor, but he still felt nervous even offering this small comfort.

Ezra didn't reach out to take the bottle, so Kallus leaned forward and put it on the bench. The kid shrank back from him, and it took everything Kallus had not to apologize right then and there. He sighed and put more space between them. When he did, the boy snatched up the bottle. With his teeth, he removed the cap and began to drink the water, some of it dribbling from his mouth due to his swollen lip. The dark eyes watched Kallus warily, as he tried to make himself as small as possible on the bench.

"You should tell him what he wants to know, child." Kallus grimaced as he saw burn damage on the kid's wrists where he'd been locked into the interrogation chair. And the kid's poor mangled hand…no, he moved his gaze back to Ezra's blue eyes. Better to stay focused. "It can only get worse from here on out."

There was no answer at first. Ezra drank another mouthful of water, wiping his chin on his sleeve. Then he asked in a soft, barely-there voice "W-w-why?"

"What do you mean?" Kallus asked shifting uncomfortably.

"W-why do you do this to people?" Fresh tears streaked down the kid's face, and he was still trembling.

Kallus's mouth moved, but no words came out. He had to look away from the kid's blue eyes and battered countenance in order to gather himself. "Just make it easy on yourself, kid," he muttered, turning toward the door, pausing at it. "Tell him what he wants to know." Then he was gone.

* * *

Hera picked Sabine and Zeb up outside of town, near an abandoned Imperial communications tower. She landed and made her way down to the ramp with Marellus. When they let it down, she saw that Sabine and Zeb had appeared of the long grass around the tower.

They walked towards the ramp, but upon seeing Marellus they slowed. Sabine looked at him with distrust, and when her hand brushed her Westar, Zeb laid a restraining hand on her arm.

"Easy, kit," he murmured. When the girl looked at him, he saw a combination of anger, and fear on her features. It seemed to be her default reaction. "Stay calm."

Hera came forward first, and embraced Zeb. "I'm glad you're okay," she said. Then she turned to Sabine who looked at her with dark anger blooming in her eyes.

"Sabine-" she began.

"Who's that?" Sabine said in a low voice. "The Jedi Kanan rescued?"

"Yeah."

Varro watched as Sabine lifted her pointed chin and walked toward him. "Hope you were worth it," she spat angrily, before ignoring him and entering into the ship.

Marellus bowed his head as she pushed past him into the darkness of the ship. Zeb came up. "Sorry. Kit's upset. She and Ezra are close."

"No offense taken." Marellus could tell that the girl was in pain. She radiated in the Force like an angry wound.

"That doesn't matter." Hera said. "I'm going to talk to her."

Without another word, Hera climbed the ladder into the upper level. The door to Sabine's room was open. The pilot watched as Sabine tugged explosives out of the suspensor crate of her possessions, tossing them on the bunk.

"Sabine." The Mandalorian did not answer, so she tried again. "Sabine, stop."

"I'm going back in. Don't even try to stop me." Her voice was full of anger as she turned away and began to check her blasters. "Ezra's not a Jedi, but he's still worth going back for."

Hera put a hand on Sabine's shoulder. "Don't blame Master Varro. He was there to rescue the Jedi too, and got captured. Kanan told me it was a total set up. There was only the body of a Jedi to lure other Force-sensitives—"

"Yeah, well it worked. Now they have Ezra." Sabine pulled away from her touch and turned away.

Hera stood there, not sure what to do until she heard Sabine's sniffle. The girl's head had fallen and her hair obscured her face. "You don't know what they're doing to him in there. What they can do to people…you don't know…" Sabine let out a sob and sank to her knees.

"Come here." Hera said softly, dropping to her knees as well and placing her touch on Sabine's shoulder.

Sabine turned and threw herself at Hera, burying her face against the Twi'lek's shoulder. "We WILL get him back, Sabine." She wrapped her arms gently around the teenager, surprised that Sabine was trusting her enough to show this vulnerable side. After too short a time, Sabine pulled away and Hera reluctantly let her go. "We just have to regroup, and decide how best to go in. Kanan's injured."

"How…how bad is it?" Sabine wiped underneath her eyes with her fingertips.

"Not great, but it could have been worse," Hera said, "In the long run, he'll be okay. Want to see him?"

Sabine nodded.

Hera escorted her to Ezra's room. The former Jedi had been sleeping, but when the door opened, he awoke.

"Sabine." He sat up, letting out a groan of pain as he pushed himself up.

"Easy, Kanan…" Hera came over and helped him.

"Ezra's in custody..." Sabine said, "…still alive. There's no sign that the Imps are going to move him any time soon. But, we're going to get him out. Don't worry," she reassured him.

Kanan swung himself out of bed, and stood, holding onto the top bunk for balance. Sabine was shocked at the amount of bandages that covered Kanan's side, shoulders, arm and leg. "We can't leave him," he agreed.

"No." Hera came forward. "You can't be out of bed."

Zeb was at the door. "Kanan, get your sorry butt back in bed. You look like you've been thrown in a sarlacc and spit back out."

"Yeah, but I still look better than you," Kanan smiled, but his expression faded as quickly as it came. He swayed a little on his feet, then steadied. "I see you met Master Varro."

"Please, do not concern yourself with the Jedi title. Said at the wrong time, it could be problematic…and that time has passed. Marellus is fine." Varro narrowed his eyes as he considered their situation. "This whole thing was a trap for surviving Jedi, and I was caught in it, along with Kanan and Ezra," he paused. "Ezra cannot be left in the hands of the Inquisitor."

"So, what's your plan?" Zeb asked.

"It will be easier for one to enter, rather than all of us. I must go in alone."

"That's suicide." Zeb shook his head.

"You're not leaving me behind!" Sabine said.

"And you're not going," Hera put a hand on Kanan's chest.

Kanan bowed his head for a moment. The last thing he wanted to do was to stay behind, but he realized he would be a liability in a fight, and that was worse than staying behind. "Okay," Kanan spoke softly. "Marellus could be right." He slowly sat down.

"Kanan, you can't mean it. He can't go it alone-" Zeb said.

He looked up. "A Jedi alone can move quietly, almost as if invisible." Kanan said.

Hera sat down on the bed next to Kanan as Sabine confronted Marellus. "No offense, Jedi, but what makes you think that you can escape detection this time?"

"I know where I'm going and what I'm looking for. They won't catch me unaware again." Marellus said softly. "And there were two of them last time. Sabine's explosion took out the female Inquisitor. If she is not dead, she will certainly be terribly injured and therefore not a factor. So only one Inquisitor this time, unless, best case scenario, the Pau'an was injured also."

"You don't know for sure?" Hera asked.

"No, I don't. The explosion collapsed the ceiling between us. I jumped back and the hallway was filled with rubble. Then I turned and saw Kanan among the debris; the Inquisitor he fought was caught underneath a very large piece of duracrete."

"I'm sorry you got hurt by my explosion." Sabine murmured to Kanan.

"Most of it fell on her." Kanan said with a grin. "Not your fault. I knew there were probably explosives there, but getting hung up in that hallway wasn't the plan."

Sabine nodded slowly, biting her bottom lip in thought before she spoke to Marellus. "They don't know about the sewers yet, as far as I could tell. Ezra and I have explored them before. You can go in and escape that way and we can blow it so they can't follow, or if they block that, you could exit off of the same hallway to the courtyard, and go over the wall."

"Sounds like a good plan, Sabine." Marellus said.

"When?" Hera said, softly.

"I'll rest today, and slip in tonight." Marellus said. "We will use the sewer entrance, so Sabine will have to show me." Sabine nodded, relieved she didn't have to stay behind.

Kanan shifted uncomfortably on the bed, and Marellus's eyes went to him. Hera checked her comm for the time. "You need more medicine." She said to Kanan. She got up and went for the medkit.

"Come on, kit. The old man needs some rest." Zeb began to usher Sabine out the door as he wiggled his eyebrows at Kanan.

"Speak for yourself, furball," Kanan said.

"Feel better." Sabine said. "We'll do our best."

When they were gone, Kanan collapsed into the pillows with a low moan and Hera realized how he'd been putting on for Sabine and Zeb by masking the pain. Marellus helped him get comfortable, as Hera brought over the painkiller. "This'll help." She told him, injecting him. While she put away the spray hypo, Marellus sat beside the bed and watched Kanan's eyes get heavier and heavier.

"Ezra is a good kid." Kanan said. "You've got to get him."

"I will do my utmost. Just relax, young one. You need to heal." Hovering his tattooed hand above, he directed the Force to the wounded areas, increasing the ability of the Padwan's body to heal wounds and fight off infection.

Hera watched, enthralled. The pain that had etched Kanan's face smoothed, and he now breathed deeply and evenly.

"The effects will last for a while." Marellus said as he opened his eyes and turned to her. "He has other wounds, however, not nearly so simple to heal."

"You're talking about his past? The loss of his Jedi Master?" Hera asked softly.

Marellus simply nodded. "He is wracked with too much guilt."

"He told me that she died for him…" Hera said. "…to save him."

Marellus inclined his head. "So many Masters died, with Padawans at their side."

"You?" Hera asked gently.

Marellus shook his head. "No, young one. I had not yet been assigned an apprentice, but Master Yoda spoke of doing such a thing, before the Purge happened." His eyes looked down at Kanan for a long time. "We should let him sleep and rest ourselves if we will be working later tonight." He looked at the shadows under the Twi'lek's eyes and realized again how worried they all were. "The Force looks favorably upon this endeavor, so rest easy, Hera."

"I hope you're right. Is there anything I can get you?"

"I am fine; thank you." He removed the simple cloak he wore and cast it to the side, revealing a black undershirt with matching pants. It was then that she noticed that his muscled arms were tattooed in addition to his hands. There were strange even lines of text in blue and black ink, as well as symbols she was unfamiliar with.

"What do they say?" She couldn't help but admire the graceful lines of whatever language he'd had inked into his skin.

"Many things. This one…'Let there be truth between your heart and the Force. All else is transitory.'"

"They're all Jedi sayings?"

He nodded. "Of little interest to most people. These words are from different ancient texts. Many of them were done on Jedha, a holy site for those some who follow the path of the Force."

Hera nodded. "I went there once, a long time ago. It was unlike any place I've ever been." She paused a moment, then glanced to Kanan and back to Marellus. There was so much about the both of them that she didn't know. "Well, I will let you rest. Please call me if you need anything."

"Yes, Captain." Marellus inclined his head.

* * *

The Inquisitor sat at Minister Tua's office at her desk and turned the prosthetic over in his hands, examining it from first one side and then the other. The Minister had offered the use of her office to him nervously, and then went to send someone to bring the tools that he'd requested.

When he'd realized the child had such an injury, he'd taken the prosthetic for the psychological impact its loss would have. The boy felt more helpless and more vulnerable—the Grand Inquisitor could sense it; however, the brat still did not capitulate. He had then moved to pull information from the boy's mind, and he'd discovered, with a savage delight, that the child was Force-sensitive. Oh, he'd become very, very interested in Ezra after that. The rebels would be back for him and the seeds of a plan began to take root in his mind.

The child had known nothing of the larger Rebellion. Still, however, he knew that they would come for Ezra Bridger and be very interested in the other two Force-users. And that would be their undoing.

A technician was allowed in by Tua, and he came to the desk, setting a small box of tools on it. "Wait," the Inquisitor said softly, looking over the box to make sure it had what he needed. The man was obviously frightened and the Inquisitor smiled like a predatory beast, increasing and feeding upon that fear. He enjoyed the man's sensations of terror, looking up to see the whites of the man's wide eyes and the shudders that shook his body. After a time where he merely watched the man quake in terror, he became bored and waved him off. "You may go," he said to the man, who immediately fled the room.

The Grand Inquisitor selected a small screwdriver and began to disassemble the unit. The boy was of value; he could and would be molded to serve the dark, but perhaps he first could serve in a different way. The Inquisitor reached into a pocket of his uniform and pulled out a tiny homing beacon. Using the tools, he installed it inside the internal workings of the hand where it would be invisible to anyone looking. Then he began fitting the pieces back together.

Without realizing, the Inquisitor slipped into moving meditation as he fitted the servos back into place and tightened the tiniest bolts and screws. He found himself using the polishing cloth in the toolbox to clean the tiny connections and nooks of the hand. Years ago, before the Empire and the Dark, he'd been a Jedi temple guard on Coruscant. Different than most of his brothers in the guard, he'd spent his free time repairing things. It was one of his many talents, and had always been a natural way to connect with the Force.

Memories of the Jedi Temple that he'd protected came back to him as he worked: his quarters, lit by the brightness of Coruscant's sun, the shining practice rooms where he'd assisted younglings and Padawans with their saber work, the smell of the service bays where he'd spent his leisure time repairing anything from droids to ships to mechanical prosthetics like this one flooded his senses until he was gritting his teeth so hard they ached. He could feel the Light beating at him like the rays of Coruscant Prime, trying to find a way back into his consciousness. He forced himself to put the tech down when his hands started to tremble so badly that he was afraid he might break something. He needed to focus his anger to push out the Light.

He took the small screwdriver and drug it across his palm, digging deeply into the flesh there. Blood welled up, but he ignored it and focused on the pain. However, it wasn't enough. Growling wordlessly, he slung the tiny tool back into the box and picked up another, heavier screwdriver that had been filed down by the owner for a sharper edge. He dragged its honed edge along the same wound, slicing more deeply. Desperately he dug into his own flesh a third time, sharpening the pain until it was severe enough to meditate on. He watched the blood and forced his anger and hatred to the surface.

"You will not win." He whispered to the Light as he inclined his head and closed his eyes. "My hatred makes me strong. My anger sustains me. _Through power I gain victory."_ He continued repeating the phrase over and over, until his hands steadied and the Light had retreated back into nothingness.

When he felt reconnected with the dark side and its power was flowing through him like a drug, he returned to his work and reassembled the hand while muttering his mantra, ignoring the dripping blood that made his fingers slippery. Focus. Sharpness. There was a plan.

The brat would get his hand back, then he would luckily 'escape' their custody, leading them back to the rebels with the tiny homing beacon hidden where they would never find it. He could then capture the two Jedi that had escaped, and maybe more. Eventually the crew of the rebel ship would meet with higher level rebel operatives. When the time came, the Inquisitor would kill and capture as many of the Superiors as he could. Playing the long game in hopes of greater rewards, was wise.

The Inquisitor looked up as he saw Minister Tua come in. She looked pale at the blood that had dripped on her desk from the Pau'an's now clenched fist. He stood up, took the prosthetic and made his way toward her.

"I…I…just came to tell you we…we got news from the medical ward. Your…um…er….subordinate will survive, Grand Inquisitor."

The Inquisitor smiled, showing a row of pointed teeth. "Very good, Minister Tua."

"Do you…need medical attention?" she asked him timidly, looking at the blood dripping from his closed fist.

"That will not be necessary. If I need anything further, I will let you know." She could sense disapproval and contempt in his voice as he turned and left.

Tua walked over to her desk. There was literally a pool of blood on it. She wasn't normally squeamish, but the sight filled her with fear, so she keyed her intercom for her assistant. "Krebs. Get in here."

She looked down at the mess on her desk and swallowed hard. "Yes, Minister?" Her assistant came toward her and saw the blood on the desk as well. "Oh my goodness, are you okay?"

"Yes. Get someone in here to clean this up."

"Yes, Minister."

"I…I will be in my quarters." She struggled to slow her pace as she left, but what she really wanted to do was run from the room and hide away until the Grand Inquisitor was long gone from Lothal.

* * *

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to a conference for work so I probably won't be around the next few days. Please make sure you read Chapter 11 first, then 12 because I'll do both in this update. Just b/c I won't have access to my story does NOT mean I won't have access to my email, so please let me know what you're thinking.

**11**

Ezra looked up miserably when the door slid open. He hoped it would be someone different this time…maybe the ISB agent, but no it was the Inquisitor, followed by a lower ranking Imperial. Making himself smaller on the bench, he kept his eyes down, worried that he might attract more attention if he eyeballed the evil creature. The Inquisitor came in holding Ezra's prosthetic, which he threw at the boy, hitting next to him on the bench. The child cringed away and the Inquisitor smiled to himself. It had been the reaction he was going for. The unfamiliar Imperial, who was most likely an assistant, took up a position near the bench and stood attentively, his face impassive.

"Agent Kallus thought that you might cooperate if given some time to think about your options."

Ezra said nothing, looking at the Inquisitor's boots and letting out a shaky sigh. His head throbbed and his body ached. At least there was no interrogation droid this time.

"I know about the fate of your family, Bridger." The darksider waited, but still the brat said nothing. "Is that something you would like to know, or do you no longer care about your parents?"

There it was. The darting of Bridger's eyes up, then looking back away in fear. _I've got you_ , he thought. He could see the tell-tale trembling of the boy's bottom lip. "So, you do care. Your parents were Ephriam and Mira Bridger, correct? The records show they were arrested for sedition and taken to Imperial Prison ISO-L8. Those areyour parents, correct?"

A slight nod.

"I'm sorry to say they were executed when you were about 8." The resulting spike of pain in the boy's Force signature was beautiful. He could use pain and fear to shape this child to what he wanted, when he had time. But...that would be for later. Now he needed to lay his trap carefully.

Tears began to drip down the boy's face. "You're lying."

"Why would I lie? However, I brought proof, should you like to view it." The Inquisitor operated a handheld holoprojector. The projector showed a chamber much like the one they were in at the moment, except there were two interrogation chairs. The broken bodies of his parents hung in the restraining straps, dark flowers of blood spotted their clothes and his mother's head hung at an odd angle which could only mean…

"No!" Ezra screamed and the holoprojector cracked, then flipped from the Inquisitor's hand. The Pau'an had momentarily startled, but then grinned to show a row of teeth, pointed like daggers.

The child's tooka-cat eyes were watching him as tears silently continued to flow. Breaking the holoprojector had been a spontaneous usage of the Force which the Pau'an hadn't expected. So, the child's anger ran close to the surface. Good. "I can feel your hate, boy." The Pau'an's glowing golden eyes glittered. "Perhaps you could be of some help to your Emperor."

"Never." Ezra whispered. He had pulled his knees up to his chest and buried his face against them. Seeing his parents' dead had caused a crushing pain in his chest, and he found himself gasping for breath between sobs.

The Inquisitor leaned in close and whispered his words into Ezra's ear. "You willchange your mind…" His hand brushed the top of the kid's hair gently, wrenching a moan from him. The Pau'an savored the child's innocent fear, a smile on his face that made even the nameless Imperial near them slightly shudder. "You will belong to the dark side…it is just a matter of time."

Ezra heard the Inquisitor leave, and kept his face hidden against his knees. He heard a small metallic tink, but he didn't look up until the Pau'an and his assistant were exiting the room. When they were gone, Ezra reached out and grabbed his prosthetic, reattaching it by feel because he could only see through a blur of tears. Curling up into himself, his hand cradled against his chest, he allowed his tears to overwhelm him finally. His parents were dead. They were really gone. He realized for the first time how much he had been depending on them being alive to get him through each day living on the streets of Lothal.

Having cried himself out, he laid down on the bench, exhausted. His stomach growled painfully, but he ignored it, looking around the room and trying to focus on anything. Lying on his side and looking across the cell, a dull gleam caught his eye. He scanned it and saw the familiar cylindrical shape of a code cylinder.

He stood up and picked it up. It had been dropped by either the Grand Inquisitor or the Imperial. His bet was on the Imperial.

* * *

The Pau'an met Kallus in the ISB agent's office. "Grand Inquisitor." The Agent stood up, at a nervous attention.

"At ease, Agent Kallus." The Inquisitor wandered around Kallus's office. "I was wondering about your previous work fighting the rebel cell on Lothal. What have you been able to discover about them?"

Kallus rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Not much. A few years back, under our old Governor, there were some rebel broadcasts. I was not here at the time, but I heard that the guilty parties were arrested and sentenced. After the broadcasts, a revolutionary named Arsen Jax operated on Lothal for a while. That was about the time the first Imperial complex was built. He disrupted shipments, stole things, bombed transports and TIE fighters. Jax was presumed dead in a bombing of that first building. There wasn't enough left to bury." He smirked, but somehow found himself feeling slightly guilty for doing so. "This new group…we haven't been able to pin them down yet. Just random bombing…for example we lost several TIEs a while back…things go missing from time to time…several of the troopers have been killed, but nothing that damages operations for the long term, however. Your normal rabble-rousing, in my opinion."

"Would it interest you to know that our newest 'guest' is related to the rebel broadcasters? Ezra Bridger, son of Mira and Ephriam. He is untrained, but he has Force ability."

Kallus raised an eyebrow. "You will be taking him, then?"

"Not just yet." The Inquisitor said thoughtfully. "I have plans for young Bridger. Although he is not in very good shape at the moment, the child will eventually be taken to Mustafar for training and indoctrination."

"Very good, Inquisitor." Kallus bowed his head, hiding his fear for the boy.

"Make sure you keep your best men guarding him. Around the clock, Agent."

"Certainly, Grand Inquisitor." Kallus watched the Pau'an leave. Then he turned back to his display and punched up a feed. The kid was standing, in the middle of the room, no binders on, looking down, then back at the door. Then Ezra Bridger walked over to the bench and crawled up on it again.

Kallus hit his comm. "TD556, the Grand Inquisitor requires heavier guard on the prisoner in detention. Choose your two best men and meet me at the detention center in fifteen minutes."

"Yes, sir." The comm deactivated and Kallus stared at the dark-haired boy on the monitor. Try as he might, he could think of no way to get the kid out where the Inquisitor wouldn't know, unless Kallus just went, dismissed the guards and opened the door himself. He knew that the Inquisitor would be able to find out who did it. Unless…

He flipped the camera to the outside hallway. "FJ7898. You are relieved of duty. Your replacements will be there in less than five minutes. Detention staff will handle surveillance until then. Good job, men."

The two soldiers, who had been on duty since the attack nodded, and left their post.

It took Kallus a few moments to hack into the detention system. He found the menu for resetting the codes on the cells, input Bridger's cell number and triggered the reset four times. Then he waited a moment, and triggered the reset again. He did this with three other cells, ones he knew contained minor criminals. If they got out, it wouldn't be the worst thing to happen and it would cause confusion. Hopefully Bridger would get the idea and go for the door, and the whole thing would look like a malfunction.

"Good luck Bridger," Kallus murmured as he erased his tracks and then keyed the hallway monitor.

* * *

Ezra sped down the hallway, trying to keep out of sight until he reached one of the air vent intakes. He could have used the code cylinder to get out, but the vents were more secure, and no one would suspect him there. He pried it open and ducked inside. The footsteps pounded by and after that the feet of many troopers. Other people had escaped as well! Ezra had been stunned when the door slid up, then down, then up several times. He'd made a dash and slipped into the hallway before the door slipped closed again.

He turned and slowly began navigating the air vents. His head ached and he was hungry and thirsty, but he had to get out. The Inquisitor might be able to track him, he realized, and that thought beat inside his brain like a pulse.

He crawled for hundreds of feet through the dirty air shafts, and finally saw what he sought below him. Either this was the supply room where he could gain access to the tunnels, or it looked similar. Well, he couldn't crawl around all night in the vents and hope not to get caught. If this wasn't the right supply room, he would deal with that.

He reached up with his fingers and began to press outwards until the panel swung out on hinges. Then he dropped from the air vent and landed right in the middle of the room. He hit hard and his ankle collapsed under him. He groaned and rolled to the side, to look up at a golden droid looking down at him with a head cocked to the side.

"This is highly irregular," the inventory control droid remarked.

"Uh, yeah." Ezra got to his feet, favoring his wounded ankle. "I was asked to check out the vents…and they're all good. Need a little cleaning, that's all." He looked down at his dirty, filthy uniform.

"You resemble the escaped inmate. Stay where you are. Troopers are on the way."

"Bye." Ezra slipped by the droid as it made a grasp for him. He found the sewer grating, pulled it up and slipped in as the RA-7 ran for the door, signaling troopers.

Ezra knew they would be coming soon, but he still felt more comfortable, the more distance he put between himself and the Inquisitor. The question was…were the sewers still wired to explode? He knew the answer would mean the difference between capture and escape.

Kallus and the Grand Inquisitor were on their way to the supply room with a squad of troopers when they felt an explosion that shook the entire complex.

"I can't believe the rebels would try this again. Their insolence is astounding." Kallus said, a frown on his features.

"Yes." The Inquisitor raised an eyebrow as they reached the hallway that terminated in the supply room. There was nothing left of it but a collapsed crater, rubble and tons of debris. Suddenly the Inquisitor smiled as he stood looking at the mess. "Our little Loth-rat is resourceful."

"He escaped. Why ever would you be smiling?" Kallus asked.

"You shall see, Agent. You shall see."

* * *

Sabine led the way through town, when they heard the explosion. She started to run toward the warehouse when Marellus put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Wait." He said softly, listening. He could hear warning claxons.

"That explosion was mine…" Sabine turned to him, her brown eyes wide.

"Let's proceed, but slowly." Marellus urged her. "We don't know what we're walking into."

They made their way toward Ezra's sewer entrance, but the streets nearby were being closed by troopers. The Jedi could feel them in the Force as they massed, forming a ring around the area of the Imperial complex. "There's too many, Sabine. We need to fall back for now and surveil the area."

She bit her lip, wanting to turn and go the other way. "But Ezra…"

"We are not giving up on him. I promise." Marellus ducked into an alley nearby, then used his comm. "Captain. There has been a development." Hera was circling in Lothal's cloud cover, waiting for a message from them.

"Go ahead," Hera replied.

"It appears there has been an explosion under the Imperial complex," he said. "There are squads patrolling the area."

"Did it happen in the sewers?"

Sabine nodded.

"The young one says yes."

"Are you safe right now?"

"Yes," Marellus murmured, looking from side to side. People were gathering on the street, curious as to what the sound had been.

"We could keep a lookout from my place," Sabine added.

"Good idea. Stay put. We'll see what we can find out from our angle. Check in every hour."

"Yes, Captain." Marellus said, signing off. "Lead the way, young one."

* * *

By the time Ezra exited the sewers, he was dirty and near complete exhaustion: the fear, pain, hunger and thirst had finally taken their toll on him. After ensuring the explosives were still in place and visiting his alcove, he'd quickly grabbed the detonator and blown the tunnel leading to the Imperial Complex. The cave-in was extensive, and he thought it would take a while for the Imperials to dig out of that.

He'd made his way under the city, following the sewer path that led to the outskirts of town. He emerged into the early evening sunset, and the sun had painted the sky orange, purple and pink as night approached. Limping on his sprained ankle, he made his way toward the abandoned communications tower. By the time he reached the bottom of the tower, he was near collapse, and breathing heavily from the pain in his battered body. He leaned against one of the tower supports and slid down to the ground. After a few minutes' rest, he keyed the comm he'd retrieved from his alcove. "Sabine?" he called. "It's me. Please be there." He leaned his head back against the tower support and let out a sigh.

He'd almost drifted off again when he heard her startled voice. "Ezra! Where the kriff are you?"

"At…at my other hideout," he knew he shouldn't mention specifics, in case the Imperials were listening, Tears squeezed out between his closed eyelids. "Glad you're still here. I thought…I thought I was alone."

"No, you're not alone. You're definitely not alone. Are you okay? Skies, Ezra!"

"I'm not uh…not all that great. Think someone could come…find me?" He couldn't begin to explain what he'd been through; big tears began to roll down his cheeks at the relief of hearing her voice. She sounded so close, and he'd wondered if he would ever talk to her again.

"Yes, of course. I'm calling Hera now. Stay there, okay? We're all on the way for you."

Ezra couldn't answer at first, but he finally got his emotions under control. "I'll be right here," he said, through his tears. When she clicked off he dropped his hand with the comm and looked out into the darkening prairie grass. A set of eyes looked back at him. After a moment, a white Loth-cat came out of the weeds toward him. It came to rub the side of his leg, and he placed a hand on its back, scratching gently as it leaned against him. The second Loth-cat that came out of the weeds was black and grey striped, and it crawled up on his legs. Ezra looked over, thinking that if he could get to the ladder, he could make it up to the top of his tower. "Probably a meal bar up there…" He whispered, but knew he wouldn't be able to make it. As the sun disappeared from the sky, a brisk cold wind set in.

"Maybe I'll take a nap." He muttered, lying down in the grass on his side so that he could hardly be seen. The two cats with him were joined by another one, leaning against his back as it rubbed against him. Since he had come to the tower, he'd often fed the local Loth-cats with whatever extra food he was able to find. For a time when he was younger, they'd been his only companions. The white one that had always seemed particularly attached to him nuzzled under his chin, and Ezra drifted off into sleep. As he rested fitfully, more Loth-cats showed up. By the time the sun set completely, the Loth-cats that could not make their way to Ezra sat as near as possible, looking out into the night as silent sentinels. They seemed to be waiting for something.

The cats did not leave either, when the _Ghost_ landed nearby, the exhaust ports ruffling the tookas' fur. Neither did they leave when the ramp came down and two figures approached. The nearest tookas, a few black ones and an orange one, hissed at the two figures, and stood with tails swishing from side to side, backs arched and fur extended.

"What the kriff?" Zeb's eyes widened. There were at least fifteen cats gathered around Ezra, who was sleeping, and they didn't look like they were leaving any time soon. "Uh…Kanan?"

The still-injured Jedi examined the situation for a moment. It was almost as if Ezra had somehow summoned the animals, using the Force. The tookas didn't look like they were planning on leaving anytime soon. "I'm not sure. Let me try something." He held up his bandaged arm, reaching out with his first two fingers extended and closed his eyes. He began to sense them, using the Force.

 **Kit. Don't harm human kit.** Each cat's small, but insistent thoughts battered him individually, but essentially, they were the same. **Protect human kit.**

 ** _Friend. Not harm your kit._** Kanan tried to communicate with the Loth-cats in their same manner of expression.

Again, the scatter of simple, but insistent thoughts. **Kit hurt. I protect.**

He could sense there was a special bond between Ezra and the Loth-cats. "He called them here, Zeb. I don't think he meant to, but they're protecting him." Kanan tried again.

**_I am friend. Let me help human kit._ **

Zeb watched as all the cats eerily cocked their heads to the side, staring intently at Kanan. "Kriffin' weird," Zeb whispered.

After a minute's more persuasion, Kanan stepped forward and the cats moved aside, bounding away into the long grass in all directions. He knelt down beside Ezra carefully and reached out a hand to smooth the kid's hair.

"Ezra…You with us, kid?"

Ezra's eyes slowly opened, then moved to regard Kanan. "You're…you're alive?" he asked in amazement. He pushed himself up on shaky arms.

"Yeah. I could say the same about you." Kanan murmured, then Ezra was in his arms and he was hugging the kid as hard as his bandaged arms and shoulders would allow.

"Let's get him inside." Zeb said, coming forward after a moment. "That way, Hera can take a look at him."

Ezra was shivering against Kanan, his face buried into the Jedi's chest. "Let go, Ezra. Let Zeb help you in." Kanan told him.

At Zeb's touch, Ezra reluctantly let himself be pulled away. His eyes scanned Kanan and saw he was bandaged in different areas. Apparently, Kanan had been hurt badly. "Y..you…o…okay?" Ezra's teeth had begun to chatter with the cold as Zeb scooped him up.

"Yeah. Gonna be fine, don't worry." Kanan replied, hitting the button to close the loading ramp as he followed them inside.

When Ezra was finally in the bunk in Zeb's room, he felt safe for the first time in two days. "Is….S-sabine…h-h-here?" he asked, teeth chattering, as Kanan limped over to wrap a blanket around him and took a seat beside him.

"She's on her way," Kanan told him as Hera entered the room, medkit in hand.

"Ezra, love…" Hera encircled the kid gently in her arms for a moment, placing a kiss on top of his head. Then the Twi'lek was in full medic mode, scanning him with a handheld medscanner. She took a blood sample, grimacing at the residues of several truth serums and pain agents. Next, she began dressing his wounds with bacta, wound glue and bandages. "Tell me where you're hurt, Ezra." she said softly, moving to apply bacta to a cut on his cheek and lip.

"My arms and legs hurt. One of my ankles hurts to walk." Ezra whispered, tears in his eyes. Hera pulled up the cuffs of his sleeves to see burn marks on both wrists. It was the same on his ankles. She'd seen the tree-like burns before. Torture with electricity. She glanced to Kanan who frowned. "I'm so sorry, love." She breathed, then began to apply more bacta. Ezra hissed and leaned into Kanan when she put some on the wound on his ankle where the electricity had exited his body.

"Steady. Hera knows what she's doing." Kanan wrapped an arm around Ezra's shoulders as the bacta numbed his wounds.

Zeb came in, bringing some water and a meal bar for Ezra. When he saw the burns, he stopped cold, realizing the full extent of what had happened to the kid. "Karabast! Who..." he began.

Kanan nodded quickly, reaching out. "Thanks, Zeb." He took the bottle of water and food bar with his free hand, leaning forward so that only Zeb could see his face. _Don't_ , he mouthed.

Zeb blinked a few times, trying to rid his face of its stricken expression. "I should go check in with Sabine and Marellus, see how close they are to getting back," Zeb spoke quickly, turning to leave the room. "I'm ready to blow this kriffin' planet," he grumbled to himself.

"You sprained your ankle." Hera wrapped Ezra's wrists and both ankles, paying special attention to the swollen one. Next, she grabbed a spray hypo. "Here…this might make you a little sleepy, but you'll hurt less and it will counteract some of the junk they put in you."

Kanan smiled wryly. "Watch out, Ezra. She's a little heavy-handed with that thing."

Ezra smiled wanly, then cried out "Ow!" at the spray hypo.

Hera rubbed his arm gently. "Sorry."

"Here," Kanan held the water out for Ezra, then partially unwrapped the meal bar. "You're probably hungry, right?"

"Yeah." Ezra took a big bite. "The Inquisitor told me…you were dead," he leaned in to Kanan again for the comfort that his presence provided.

"That's who did this to you?" Kanan asked gently. At Ezra's nod, Kanan pulled him closer, threading peace and comfort through the Force to him. "I'm sorry. I thought you'd escaped with Sabine and Zeb. I never…never would have left, if I had known you were still there…you know that, right?"

Ezra nodded, taking a sip of water and another bite of the meal bar. He was obviously getting sleepy from the medicine, Hera had observed, as the boy's motions slowed. When he was done, Hera took the wrapper and the bottle to put aside. "I'll make something better tomorrow, Ezra. How about some soup?"

Ezra nodded and blinked slowly.

"Sleepy?" Kanan asked.

Ezra nodded again. "Can someone stay with…me? At least until I fall asleep...I don't wanna be alone."

"We won't leave you alone, Ezra. Not for a minute." Kanan murmured, moving to ease Ezra down into the bed. The kid resisted, instead leaning against Kanan and closing his eyes. Kanan wrapped his arm back around the boy. Reaching out with the Force, the former Jedi sensed the moment the boy slipped into unconsciousness and sighed in relief.

"Go check on the big guy." Kanan murmured, casting his gaze toward Hera. "He's upset, and you know him best. I'll stay." Even now, Kanan could feel the anger and sorrow of the big Lasat in the next room. Getting upset would not help Ezra...and the teen might even misunderstand and think that he was the cause. That wouldn't work.

With care, Kanan moved to ease Ezra down in the bed, so that he'd be a little more comfortable. He covered Ezra with the blanket they'd gotten him earlier and the kid sighed at the warmth.

"Okay," Hera agreed. She stood up and Kanan took her chair, moving so that he could still reach Ezra, his hand resting gently on the boy's shoulder. The kid's face was tracked with dirt, tears and blood, and she wanted nothing more than to make everything alright. "I'll be back. Maybe we can clean him up a little while he's sleeping."

Kanan nodded slowly. "Be thinking of somewhere we can hunker down a few days and rest. Kid needs the time."

"It's a good idea. I think we could all use a little time to decide what to do next," she agreed. "I'll be back in just a minute."


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Same as usual, guys. Please make sure you read Chapter 11 because I put that one up tonight as well. Don't skip the first one by accident.

**Chapter 12**

By the time Sabine and Marellus had returned, Hera had cleaned Ezra up as best as she could without waking him. Kanan and Zeb peeled off the filthy Academy uniform and redressed Ezra in the over-sized blacks that went with the spare trooper armor. While not fashionable, they would be more comfortable to sleep in than the kid's flight suit. Hera was reminded once again about how little these kids actually owned, and she determined to remedy that as soon as possible.

Hera had gone off to launder the uniform, to see if it was salvageable, leaving Kanan on duty watching Ezra for a few minutes. Sabine entered the room, and stood by the door, focused on Ezra's face, which framed by his dark hair, looked white against the pillow.

"You can come over. He's sleeping heavily. You won't disturb him." Kanan said softly. Hera stepped into the doorway behind her, meeting Kanan's eyes meaningfully. The whole way back, Sabine had been sick with worry and once she and Marellus returned, she'd went directly to find him.

Sabine dropped her helmet on the floor, and, once she got moving, she practically flew across the room. She stood by the bed, touching Ezra's hand gently before taking it in hers. "How badly is he hurt?" she examined his wrist, the cuts on his lip and the black and blue marks on his face.

"He'll be okay, Sabine." Kanan soothed. "Sprained ankle…some electrical burns. Hera gave him some pain medicine. He's going to be sleeping for a while."

"Did they…"

Kanan bowed his head, not wanting to tell her, but unable to lie about it. "They interrogated him, Sabine."

"What did he say about it?" She asked with a shaky voice as she sat down hard. "How bad…"

Kanan reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. "He didn't talk about it. He was too tired to talk much. It might be best if you just leave that part alone for now, okay?"

"You know…" she said, her voice catching in her throat all of a sudden. "The Imperials captured me after I ran from the Imperial Academy. They hurt me, but Ezra took care of me and made sure I healed up okay-he stayed with me nonstop…He…" she wiped under her eyes with her fingers, too upset to go on.

Kanan paused to give her a chance to finish, but when she didn't, he went on. "Sabine. Before he went to sleep, he asked for you. I know he'll want to see you when he wakes up."

"Just try to make me leave," she said, looking up at Kanan with a smile through her tears.

"No way. I'm too glad to be alive myself to risk it." He smiled back, and stood with effort. The leg wound, while healing, was still painful. "Call us if anything changes."

She nodded, watching him go as she remembered that he wasn't healed up either. They'd all gotten hurt and she wasn't quite so sure of her abilities as she had been when she'd sworn to go in to fight the Empire no matter what. Life was precious, she realized, as she looked at Ezra's pale, bruised face.

"I'm here, Ezra," she whispered, taking Kanan's place.

Kanan made his way to the door, then took one last look over his shoulder in time to catch Sabine smoothing Ezra's heavy black hair off of his forehead. Something about the gesture made Kanan's heart catch hopefully in his chest for Ezra and Sabine. Maybe she did love him. Force knew the kid loved her. Kanan had felt the emotion blaze like bright polished durasteel whenever Ezra mentioned her.

"She's okay?" Hera asked from the Dejarik table where Marellus and Zeb sat talking. She brought Kanan a cup of caf.

Kanan nodded. "As good as she can be. She'll let us know if anything changes."

"Good. Come with me. We're lifting off and jumping to Schien for a couple of days."

"Schien? Where's that?"

"Little planet off of the Hydian Way. Quiet place, lots of green forest and only a few large cities. We're going to set down near the mountains, near a small outpost for spacers while I try to get in touch with Fulcrum. You'll like it."

"Fulcrum?" Kanan asked, slowly making his way towards the cockpit on his bad leg.

"Yeah. I'm sort of working for her…gathering surveillance and information to be used against the Empire." Hera said. "And that's as much as Zeb knows and all I can tell, until you meet her for yourself."

"You trust her?" A flash of worry reflected in his blue-green eyes.

"I do." Hera said. She was delaying, walking slowly to give him time to catch up. They entered the cockpit, her first and him following. "She hasn't steered us wrong yet."

"Okay." He nodded and slid into the co-pilot's chair.

"'Okay?' That's all you're going to say?" she asked, flipping switches and powering up the _Ghost's_ engines.

"I trust you," he replied. "You kept me on, so I know you're a good judge of character."

She grinned at him. "Very funny."

"Did you…I mean are you going to tell her about the three…of us being Force-sensitive?" He asked cautiously as she began flipping switches.

"Not over the comms…and not if you don't want to tell her. It's not really my place to spill your secret, or Ezra's or Marellus's either for that matter. I promised you I'd keep that information safe and I will." The _Ghost_ lifted into the air as she began to head toward the upper atmosphere. "But…I'd like you to think about staying on with me. On the _Ghost_." She bit her lip, afraid to look at his reaction, so she focused instead on flying the ship. "Don't answer now. Just think about it. You could do a lot to help against the Empire, and…I have to admit, I'm growing quite fond of you." Her green eyes darted up to his own. And she saw he was blushing under his tanned skin.

He gestured to his leg and his arm, still swathed in bandages. "I think I'm more of a liability than an asset right now, Hera." He smiled as he shrugged.

"I don't think Ezra or Marellus would see it that way." She said simply, "but think it over, okay?"

"I will," he promised.

Her eyes touched his again as she smiled. "Good. Hang on. We're jumping to hyperspace."

* * *

Ezra didn't fully wake until late afternoon the next day. He'd opened his eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the dimness of the room. The previous night's escape was like a dream and he half expected to open his eyes and see the cold metal cell around him with the harsh lighting. But he could feel a warm hand in his own, and his head was nestled on a soft pillow and there was a green blanket keeping the chill away.

He turned his head and saw Sabine was sitting on a chair beside the bed, but she had leaned over on the mattress and pillowed her head on her arms. One of her hands was twined in his own, but he gently released it and moved his fingertips to smooth down her silken silver hair.

She awoke slowly. "Ezra…" she mumbled. When she came fully awake, she sat up; her eyes were very wide and round. "You're awake…" Before he could answer, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his lips. Then it was his turn to look surprised.

"Wow," he blushed, almost as much as she was. "Guess I need to get hurt more often."

"Don't you dare," she smacked him playfully, and he flinched in pain. "Oh, Ezra. I'm sorry."

"I'm not sorry." He looked at her and she felt her heart ache. His face was so pale, the bruises around his face were so dark…she felt like death had laid its hands on Ezra and somehow, against the odds, he had escaped. She started to say something, but he ended up speaking first.

"Sabine. I found out something…about my parents. They're gone. The Inquisitor…told me what happened…"

"What do you mean?" She searched his eyes frantically.

His voice was heavy. "They're dead." He struggled to hold back tears, wiping at his eyes with the heels of his palms and looking away.

"What? No. He had to be lying…"

Ezra shook his head. "I saw it. I saw them dead. He had a holo. They've been dead for years." He wiped at his face as she leaned over and threw her arms around him.

"Oh, Ezra. I'm sorry," she whispered, squeezing him tightly.

After a few moments, he gathered himself back together and she released him. "Hey, uh…what I wanted to say was…there's nothing to keep me on Lothal, at least for now. Wherever you decide to go, I'm in. I mean if you still want me…to…uh…go with you."

She took his hand in hers again and squeezed it. "You know I do, Ezra."

He sighed with relief, settling back against his pillows. "Really? Okay. Good."

"Are you hungry? Hera made soup."

He nodded. "Maybe…a little."

"Okay. I'll be back," she stood and went to leave.

"Hey, Sabine?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for…for going back for me."

"Ezra…of course, I went back." She paused a moment, then returned back to him and sat on the bed. "I…I don't know how to tell you this," she whispered, "but if I don't tell you I might never say it."

"You can tell me anything," Ezra said, sitting up with difficulty.

"I would have done anything to get you back." She took a deep breath and lifted her eyes to him. "I think you're the only person I would do that for, and the thought…of losing you tears me up. And no offense, but thatidea scares the seven Sith hells out of me for some reason I can't explain."

He could see her trembling, and he took her hand. "Sabine…I…"

They both looked up as Hera knocked lightly and then entered the room. If she noticed the heavy atmosphere between them, she didn't show it. "Oh…You're awake, Ezra. How are you feeling?"

"O..okay." He said, letting Sabine's hand slip from his own.

"I was just coming to see if I could get Sabine something to eat. Are you hungry?"

He nodded, so Hera headed for the door. "Sabine. Give me a hand?"

"Sure." Sabine said, sounding grateful for an escape. Ezra could sense her tension and understood her need for some space. She'd basically confessed that she cared a lot about him for the first time, and he could feel that it elated her as much as it scared her. It would be a mistake to press her for more.

Sabine followed Hera to the door. Before the Mandalorian left, however, she smiled over her shoulder at him. It did something warm to his heart, and it was a feeling he wanted to hold onto for a long, long time.

* * *

Ezra's energy lasted long enough to eat and take another dose of painkiller before he fell back asleep. Hera had finally convinced Sabine to get a nap, but the girl had only agreed once she knew Kanan and Marellus would take over the watch.

Marellus sat near the foot of the bed, in a meditation position, while Kanan took the chair near the head of the bed. "When I found the kid, there were at least fifteen or twenty Loth-cats guarding him. It took a bit for me to convince them that I was there to help."

"It's obvious the young one has a Force talent for connecting with others." Marellus said softly. "Just as my talent is healing and yours is…?"

Kanan smiled, his defenses lowered for a moment. "My master would have said that my talent was asking questions. I always wanted to know as much as I could about any situation, so, as a youngling, I asked about everything. I used to get picked on by the other younglings…and I remember being teased quite a bit by the troopers in …our…" His breath tightened in his throat. The smile dropped from his face immediately and a shade dropped over the openness of his Force signature as his features twisted with pain.

He could hear the dead voices of Grey and Styles muttering and it made him want to scream.

"Don't." Marellus said, sensing a sudden bloom of the dark side in the Padawan's thoughts before his shield dropped over everything. He was able to sense the endless waves of crashing anger flooding Kanan's Force signature just before he was shut out.

Kanan shook his head and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest protectively and squeezing his eyes shut. The pain inside of him began to scratch to get out, but he projected only a blankness as his shields stayed locked down tightly, keeping the older Jedi out.

The Jedi knew he'd just seen only a glimpse of the hell that the young man had gone through back then. Even now, he was still suffering. Marellus needed a way to help Kanan, but his Jedi training in healing hadn't prepared him for this kind of trauma. He bowed his head, trying to think of what some of the older Jedi would say, or a piece of wisdom he'd gleaned from all the reading he'd done throughout the years, but nothing came to mind.

"Kanan." He said softly, but the Jedi had looked away, a set expression on his face. "Young one…you need to talk about what happened…if not with me than with someone." He lowered his voice as he spoke. "Being isolated and alone…is a path to the dark side."

Kanan closed his eyes tightly. "Don't take this the wrong way, Marellus, but the Force doesn't care about me. It left me for the dark side a long time ago."

"And yet you haven't let the dark side destroy the Light I see inside you, Padawan," the Jedi countered.

The memory of Raleesh and what had almost happened there came back to him. Marellus didn't understand. "That doesn't mean I'm worth saving." Kanan felt a fierce desire for a drink. In fact, he wanted to get so kriffing drunk he didn't know his name anymore. "You don't know what I've done…I can't go through that again. I almost gave up on everything." He leaned his elbows on his knees and ran his fingers into his hair and pulled hard, but still the tears gathered and stung his eyes. His shields slipped and Marellus almost drowned in the rolling tide of self-loathing. The anger, the fear…the sheer pain was unbearable.

Marellus gathered all the Light inside of him and funneled it into his touch as his hand steadied Kanan's shoulder. "You can't go on like this. What happened to your Master was not your fault."

"Your pity…it's wasted on me." Kanan's voice was rough with grief and he shook his head, unable to speak.

"Kanan?" It was Ezra's voice. Kanan bowed his head and scrubbed his face with his hands. Ezra's half-open blue eyes were watching him…he could feel it.

"We're here with you, Ezra." Marellus glanced at Ezra, while keeping a steadying hand on Kanan.

"What's wr…" Ezra whispered, sitting up. Marellus shook his head slowly while maintaining eye contact with Ezra. The kid nodded and waited quietly.

It took a while, but Kanan finally lifted his head, having regained some semblance of control. "I'm okay," he sighed tiredly, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry if I woke you, kid. Feeling any better?"

"A little," Ezra said.

"Do you remember Marellus?" Kanan asked.

"Sure. The other Jedi." Ezra said. "Hi."

"Young one." Marellus said with a nod. He rose to sit on the bed. "If you will allow me, I can assist you in healing."

"By using the Force?" Ezra's eyes widened at the tattooed man's nod. "Will it…hurt?"

"No. It will most certainly not hurt." Marellus replied with a smile. Hera had told him the boy had burns all over his body, but worse on his sprained ankle so he moved his hands to gently hover over the injured area.

Ezra felt a tingle in his sore ankle, then a spreading warmth that eased the pain a bit. "Wow."

A slight smile spread over Marellus's face as he moved his hand to the burns on Ezra's other ankle.

"How is he doing that?" Ezra whispered, looking to Kanan.

"He is able to use the Force to help your body heal." Kanan said, pushing everything else back away again. It was obvious that the kid was upset because had sensed Kanan's heavy emotions, but Force knew the kid had enough to deal with on his own. "Just like you can connect with others. Including Loth-cats, apparently," he smiled at Ezra, trying to reassure him.

Ezra thought back to the tower. The pain he had been in had been overwhelming. A faint memory flashed of lots of warm Loth-cats meowing and burrowing against his side. "When I spent a lot of time at the tower…I used to feed some of them. I…" He remembered their tiny but fierce minds pushing against his own, trying to keep him safe. "I guess I called them somehow?"

Kanan nodded. "Using the Force." Marellus had moved his hands up to hover over Ezra's bruised arm. They watched as the bruises began to fade from ugly black to a yellowish green and the burn marks began to lighten.

"It will take time to regain your energy." Marellus opened his eyes. "I will let Hera know you are awake again. She wants to make sure you have something to eat."

When Marellus was gone, Ezra asked a question, looking at Kanan's bandaged arm. "Did he help you like he did me?"

"Yeah." Kanan nodded. "My bandages should be off in a couple of days."

"What happened after I left? You know, at the complex."

"I fought with that Mirialan. She was good and I…well, I wasn't. Thought I wasn't going to make it, then Sabine's explosion collapsed the ceiling. I'm not sure the darksider made it out, but Marellus saved me." Kanan shifted uncomfortably as the kid's eyes studied him. "I…I'd better…"

Ezra seemed about to ask something else, but Hera came in with Sabine, carrying a mug of soup. "Ezra, we brought you something to eat." Ezra sat up more completely as Hera pressed the cup into his hands.

"Thank you." Ezra murmured. When he looked up to see where Kanan was, the former Jedi had gone.

* * *

Marellus opened his eyes as the child spoke.

"Can you tell me about the Force?" Ezra asked softly.

The two of them had both woken early their first morning on Shien. Marellus had been standing in the kitchen when Ezra exited his quarters and made his way into the hallway. The rest of the Ghost was quiet, and Marellus had ushered Ezra to the cargo bay. They had taken a seat and fallen into a comfortable silence. "I know you have questions, child," he'd prompted, so Ezra had asked about the thing in the forefront of his mind. The Force.

Marellus took a deep breath as if the extra oxygen would help him remember how his Master had answered such questions. "The Force. The Jedi believe it's an energy force that binds the universe together. It flows through all living things, including people. It surrounds us and guides us, if we have the wisdom and patience to listen. Some people have the ability to connect with and channel this energy for different purposes."

"For things like connecting with other people?"

"Yes, young one." Marellus smiled, reaching out to ruffle Ezra's hair. The bruises still shadowed his face, and he was moving slow due to his injuries, but he was feeling better.

"Can…can I ask another question?" Ezra leaned forward, turning so he faced Marellus more fully.

"You may ask any question you wish."

"Can you heal people's minds, as well as their bodies?" There was an urgent look in Ezra's eyes that showed this was no casual question. "I mean…like if they've been through a really bad time?"

"Healing people's minds is a skill I do not possess, youngling. There were certain Jedi healers who could do such things, but…they are now long gone."

"Oh." Ezra slumped back down, studying a rip in the blacks near his knee.

Marellus watched him for a few moments, then looked off over the small stream. "You worry about Sabine. And Kanan."

Ezra looked askance at him. "How do you know…"

"You are not the only one with a talent for connecting with others. But you are particularly skilled at using the Force that way, Ezra. Youunglings who could do such things learned to connect with and heal other's minds. Perhaps you will find a way to help your friends, but perhaps you have already helped them a great deal, using your natural talents."

"Sabine maybe. Not Kanan." Ezra didn't know exactly how to broach the subject, so he just said it. "I haven't known Kanan that long, but something bad happened to him when his Master died, didn't it?" He reached down and began picking at a frayed edge of the blacks that he still wore.

"I'm afraid so, little one." Marellus said. "He has said little about it, however. The bond between a Master and a Padawan is a strong one. The breaking of that bond cut him deeply, and understandably, it is most likely not a subject he wishes to revisit."

"Is it like losing a parent?" Ezra looked up finally, his eyes sad. "Because I know now...how that feels."

"What do you mean?"

"My parents…the Inquisitor showed me they were murdered. By the Imperials." There was a certainty in his voice. "I saw a holo…" He sniffled a little, wiping his eyes on his sleeve.

"Youngling…" Marellus reached out and pulled him into an embrace. "I'm truly sorry."

"It happened a long time ago." Ezra murmured into the Jedi's shoulder. "But it still hurts, so I guess I know how he feels…"

"I imagine it is like that, Ezra. The both of you have had more than your share of pain." After long moments, he let Ezra go. "I know you are troubled about him, but be patient. Give him time."

Ezra nodded. "Before…before we rescued you, Kanan had a really bad day. I could feel this…darkness…it was—it overwhelmed him." He could remember the waves of emotional pain that had come from the drifter.

Marellus had bowed his head in thought while Ezra spoke. "I have sensed this darkness as well, youngling."

"What…what do we do? We can't just wait around…right?" Ezra asked softly.

Marellus was still, hands clasped in his lap and head still inclined. The air became strange around them, just like Ezra had noticed when he'd been drawn to the cockpit…right before Kanan had revealed he was a Jedi. Surrounding them was a strange energy, a vibration of something beyond the range of Ezra's sight and he looked around in wonder.

The Jedi's voice was also strange and different as he spoke. "The dark side wishes to claim its prize. He fights it, but is losing the battle. You must stay beside him, youngling. If with you, he may be strong enough to come through this shadow… but alone…he will be pulled down to darkness without hope of escape."

All of a sudden it felt as if the air was sucked out of the room. The heaviness around them melted away and Marellus lifted his head slowly, looking around as if orienting himself to his surroundings once more.

"You used the Force." Ezra whispered. Unexpectedly, there was a noise above them. He turned his head, as someone appeared quickly, almost at a run, on the walkway above.

It was Kanan. He hadn't been awake very long…his hair was not tied back and he was barefoot. He looked down at them with a startled expression. "Um…" Clearly, he'd been expecting something else besides the two of them sitting quietly in the cargo bay. "Is everything okay?" He asked slowly looking from Ezra to the Jedi. "I sensed something…something big in the Force."

"Marellus and I had been talking about the Force… I had…a lot of questions." Ezra filled in smoothly.

Kanan came down the ladder, then approached them. He gave them a tired smile, one that spoke of too little sleep and bad dreams, if the shadows under his eyes were any indication.

"I should have let you know first…so that you weren't alarmed. I am sorry," the older Jedi said.

"No, it's fine. I just…" Kanan ran a hand through his loose hair. "Guess I'm not used to being around a lot of Force users anymore. Sorry to be so jumpy."

"Sit with us?" Ezra said, Marellus's words echoing in his head.

Once Kanan had seated himself, Marellus spoke. "Tell me what you see when you use the Force to examine Ezra."

Kanan raised an eyebrow, but turned to look at the boy. "His Light is bright. As bright as any Padawan I ever saw at the Temple."

"I was about to show Ezra how to shield his signature, but perhaps you would do a better job. You have particularly strong shields."

"Uh…I suppose so." Kanan suspected some ulterior motive to this, but he couldn't really pinpoint it yet. He was surprised when Marellus got up and headed to the upper level. "Where are you going?"

"Caf. You youngsters can handle this one." Varro replied, waving a hand in the air, a knowing smile on his features.

Kanan turned himself more completely toward Ezra, and shrugged. "So you're getting Marellus to teach you the ways of the Jedi?"

"I…I don't know. We really didn't talk about that, but now that I know that I really can use the Force…I'd like to learn more about it."

Kanan nodded. "Well, he'll be the kind of teacher you need. I know enough to know that." He ran a hand through his hair, slightly nervously. "Okay. So, hiding your Force signature is all about blending in to your environment. There…there are those out there like the Grand Inquisitor who…"

"Want me to join the dark side." Ezra finished, his eyes fixed on Kanan.

"Did he…did he say that to you?" Kanan asked carefully.

"Yeah."

Kanan's first reaction was anger, but he pushed that away. Ezra and his sense of safety were most important to boost now. "That won't happen," he said softly. "You know that, right? The Light is too strong in you."

Ezra nodded again, but more uncertainly.

"Okay. So, having shields is a way to keep sleemos like that from tracking you or slithering through your thoughts."

Ezra nodded rapidly. That had been exactly what the Inquisitor had done to him. "Just show me what to do."

* * *

Marellus stood in the hallway, listening to the rise and fall of Kanan and Ezra's conversation. Then there was silence as Kanan began the process of helping Ezra connect to the Force for the first time.

He leaned back against the wall, closing his eyes tightly.

The Force had been clear with what it wanted. Marellus wasn't sure exactly what he'd said to Ezra when the Force had flooded him completely, but he was well aware of what he'd seen.

Flashes. Like a broken holo, flicking from image to image, faster and faster.

Light and Dark, blue and yellow, happiness and despair, love and pain, together with Ghost family and alone. All the images were opposites. A choice was clearly before the Padawan. A choice that would make all the difference.

Varro just hoped he would make the right one.

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Bonus points if you can find an allusion to one of Okadiah's stories in here. If you haven't read "Blackbird" you need to go read it as soon as you finish this chapter!**

* * *

**13**

Kanan and Ezra meditated and worked on Ezra's shields until they were called to eat. When they reached the galley, Zeb had cooked breakfast for them.

"How did it go?" Marellus asked the pair. He had a cup of caf and was already sitting down with a plate of flatcakes.

"Okay." Ezra nodded, watching Kanan go for the caf, then leaning in to Marellus: "Meditating is hard. Like really, really hard work," he said it like he was sharing a secret. "But you're doing nothing—just sitting there—but it's still hard." Marellus laughed softly in reply. "What?" Ezra said.

"Things have changed so much, but Padawans have stayed the same." Marellus said. "They still hate meditating. Rest easy, Ezra. It'll get easier. I promise."

"Nope. Kid moves around like he was trying to ride a nexu." Kanan called from the kitchen.

Sabine snickered at that and elbowed Ezra gently.

Kanan brought over a plate of flatcakes and set them in front of Ezra. "But he WAS trying hard," he admitted as he saw Ezra's worried face. "I give him full credit for effort." A smile bloomed on Ezra's face at the unexpected praise.

Hera was watching Kanan with an amused look in her eyes. As soon as he saw it, he began to blush, and focused on pouring glasses of blue milk for Ezra and Sabine. 

When they all had their plates of flatcakes, they sat down together around the Dejarik table.

"I guess this is just as good a time as any. I wanted to tell everyone that I got in touch with my contact. Fulcrum wants to meet with you personally." Hera said. "However, you must agree to tell no one of your meeting." They all nodded.

"I understand the need for secrecy." Marellus said. "However, what can you tell us about…your friend and her network?"

"The network is rather loosely put together at the moment." Hera began. "No one knows anyone else, but I am aware that there are other rebel cells around the Outer Rim. We are mostly gathering intelligence on the Empire, and making connections with those who would be willing to fight back against the Imperials. This has been our main mission for about a year now." She looked at Zeb and he nodded.

Sabine leaned forward. "Why didn't this Fulcrum get back with you before, when we were going to rescue the Jedi?"

Hera shook her head. "There was an emergency in another sector for her, but she didn't elaborate. She was unable to reply for fear that her signal would be detected."

"Does she know about Kanan, Marellus and me?" Ezra asked, shifting uncomfortably in his seat.

"No. She knows that we suspected we were going to rescue a Jedi, and that we rescued someone from Imperial custody; I did not tell her one way or the other if he was a Jedi. However, if it means anything to you, I can vouch for her. She…got Zeb and I out of some trouble a couple of years ago. Perhaps you should meet her first, and judge for yourself what to say and what not to say."

Kanan nodded thoughtfully. "Sounds like a good plan."

"We will meet with her on a planet named Odilon the day after tomorrow. Odilon was a mining planet; now, it's mostly uninhabited. I suggest we take this time to rest up and heal. Sabine, I want you to come with Zeb and me this afternoon. If you're staying a little while, then we're going to need to purchase some things in the nearby city. Kanan and Ezra should stay here and rest."

"But…" Ezra began.

"No arguments." Hera told him, then turned to Marellus. "You are welcome to come with us or stay here, it's up to you."

"I'll come with you." Marellus said.

"Okay, good." Hera turned to Kanan and Ezra. "There's plenty of ration bars and fruit in the conservator for lunch. We'll pick up something for dinner. Any requests?"

"I'm not picky." Kanan said, looking to Ezra.

"Me either." Ezra replied.

"Okay then. I'm going to be leaving the _Ghost_ in your hands." She headed toward her room. "You better take care of it, Kanan Jarrus, or else."

"Yes, Captain, we'll do our best." Kanan saluted her as she entered her room with a grin.

* * *

Kanan had slept a little while before lunch, but strange dreams had kept him from doing more than slipping into a twilight world between sleeping and waking. His wounds were healing, but he was still sore and slow-moving, just like Ezra had been.

Once he got moving, he'd gone to find the kid, to ask which exciting flavor of ration bar he wanted for lunch, but Ezra wasn't in his room. He glanced around, then checked the cockpit. Chopper was engaged with the navicomputer when Kanan asked if he'd seen the kid. The droid suggested that he check out the bottom of the nearest Saarlac pit. Then Chopper laughed manically. Kanan didn't have the energy to fight with the astromech, so he ignored him, turned and headed back toward the kitchen to grab two meilooruns and an assortment of ration bars.

The kid was sitting alone on the ramp, watching the wind blow the leaves into the swiftly moving stream that he could see glinting through the trees.

Kanan slid down the ladder and then approached, taking a seat beside the kid. "Thought you'd be sleeping." He said, setting the food between them.

"I was." Ezra said. He had his arms wrapped around his knees. "A dream woke me up."

"Oh." Kanan nodded, using his full senses. The kid's Force signature was wrong…he was out of sorts. "Bad dream, was it?" He held out three ration bars. Ezra chose the Jogan flavored one and he took one labeled "Muja fruit."

"Yeah." The kid breathed. "About that…that Grand Inquisitor guy."

"Yeah." Kanan nodded again. As the moments went by, he decided to use the Force to examine the kid. The dark side swirling around Ezra, and he wanted to push it far away. The kid had been through enough. He put a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Ezra…if you want to talk, I'm here for you."

"It was awful. He…" Ezra swallowed hard. "He hurt me, like uh…like before. And he was trying to take you all prisoner. He went into my head…" Here Ezra held out his hand as he remembered the dream-Inquisitor doing. "...like this and I started talking. Telling him where you all were. I was crying because I didn't want to, but I couldn't stop talking. He made me."

"I'm so sorry, kid." Kanan couldn't help wrapping an arm around Ezra as they sat side by side. "We're safe, though. You just need to concentrate on that."

"I just want to sit here, in the sun for a while." He wiped tears away, realized he was still holding his unopened ration bar, and set it on the floor beside him. He closed his eyes and leaned into Kanan's side.

It was midday and the early autumn sunshine had grown warm. Kanan wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close, feeling tears prick his own eyes. "Long as you want, kid." Kanan murmured, rubbing Ezra's shoulder. "As long as you want."

* * *

"That's perfect." Hera nodded as Sabine came out dressed in a set of black utility pants with pockets and a form fitting shirt, the color of a ripe jogan, made out of the same material as the blacks they'd used at the academy. Sabine nodded, examining herself in the mirror.

By the time Sabine came back out of the dressing room, Hera had picked out several sets of pants and shirts in different colors. "Look, you don't have to…" Sabine began.

"Think of it as a gift. Or a repayment for services rendered." Hera smiled. "Help me find some things for Ezra…I just can't see him in that flight suit again."

"Orange is his color though. Let me see what I can find." Sabine was flummoxed at why Hera would go out of her way to do this, but she didn't know exactly how to refuse. The Twi'lek made her way through the racks of clothes, with Sabine following.

Meanwhile, Zeb and Marellus had finished up procuring the things on Hera's list. They found a place outside the store where they'd left Sabine and Hera.

"Did you get the stuff to restock the medkit?" She asked Zeb as she came out, opened and peered into the container.

"Yeah. They were out of bacta, though. Got the rest of it." Zeb stood up and helped her load her purchases into the crate. He saw with satisfaction that Hera had picked out some clothes for the kits. That morning, he'd spoken to her in the hallway about it and had given Hera a handful of credits to help outfit them. It was obvious Sabine and Ezra were NOT going back to Lothal, at least for a while, and they had gotten to take very little with them. Whatever the kits decided to do, Zeb wanted to make sure they had what they needed.

"Let's pick up some food and head back to the ship." Hera said. "It's gotten late."

"I believe I saw a restaurant on the way to the town center." Marellus said. "Follow me."

* * *

The Grand Inquisitor's tiny ship settled in a hollow 30 klicks away from the _Ghost_. He powered it down and headed to the cargo area of the little courier class ship. It was known that some of the Alliance used ships very much like this, so he was sure that it would be nondescript enough to not draw attention.

"Fifth Brother. Get Seven's droids ready." The Grand Inquisitor narrowed his eyes at his apprentice as she moved slowly to set the droids on stealth seeker mode.

Seven wasn't completely healed; she was barely mobile, which made her unsuitable for this mission. It mattered little. Two Inquisitors would be more than enough to match the Jedi and that Padawan. As for the rest of the ones among the crew of the freighter, he had two platoons of stormtroopers waiting one jump away from the planet. Was it overkill? Perhaps, but it paid to be ready. If possible, they would take the boy alive, and then he would begin the process of converting the brat to the dark side.

"They are set." Five called from the cargo bay.

"Send them out. It should be dark enough that they not be noticed." The Grand Inquisitor watched as each of Seven's "pets" hovered their way out of the cargo bay. He wanted to gather what intelligence he could. Perhaps they were going to be meeting with a superior in the Rebellion. In that case, he didn't want to spring his trap too soon. Capturing one of the leaders of the growing Rebellion would be the icing on the cake.

He sat down in the pilot's chair and steepled his fingers to wait.

* * *

After a long time, when the afternoon sun was waning and a chill had set in the air, Kanan had scooped up Ezra and carried him upstairs. They were back at Kanan's bunk, where Kanan had wrapped the boy up in two blankets to ward off the chill and settled him by his side. They were both sitting on the bed; Ezra had his legs tucked underneath him and Kanan had his folded in a meditation position. The kid was fast asleep at Kanan's side.

They were so still and peaceful, that when Varro opened the door looking for them, he almost didn't see them. As the Jedi looked at the two, he saw the traces of a Master-Padawan bond between them. Made of glowing gossamer threads of the Force, it was starting to catch and bind the two of them together.

 _Help me._ Varro thought. _Help me say the right things to guide this lost one back to the Light._ There was a subtle shift to the Force that changed the way it flowed through him, and he hoped it meant that his words would break through this time, pushing through the pain to allow this lost child of the Force to forgive himself.

Kanan opened his eyes slowly. "I'm awake," he murmured.

Marellus entered, taking the chair beside the bed. "How is Ezra?"

"He's not been sleeping well." Kanan murmured.

"He seems to be sleeping well now." Marellus said, looking at the boy's relaxed form. Kanan smoothed Ezra's hair as the boy slept. "I sense a Force-bond between you and the boy, Kanan."

Kanan looked up in surprise. "No. He needs a real teacher. That's you. I'm not…not a Jedi Knight. Not nearly qualified." Marellus saw the look of pain that crossed Kanan's face as he looked down at Ezra. "I've walked too many dark paths. Jedi are supposed to protect their Padawans from the dark side."

"The best protector is one who knows the dangers." Marellus murmured.

Kanan's tone was even and easy, but his eyes darted away and betrayed the increasing fear inside. "Look, I'm supposed to be moving on after we meet with Fulcrum, so..."

"Do you not see the hand of the Force in this?" Marellus asked, leaning forward intently and grabbing his forearm. "You…can't just leave. Your path is not to be walked alone."

"I…I can't." In a panic, Kanan tore away from Marellus and the bed, standing and backing off. Ezra woke up abruptly, blinking and looking around the room. Kanan didn't notice, he was so focused on Marellus. "You don't know. You don't understand."

"Then tell me." Marellus said, standing as well.

Kanan's face twisted with the internal struggle. "My Master died because I _ran_." Kanan mourned, his voice thick with self-loathing. "She told me to run and that she'd be behind me, but I _knew_ she was lying. I could feel it. And I left her anyway." After saying the words, he stood there, struggling to speak. It felt like every bad thing that had ever happened to him was crawling out of his chest with those words. Might as well say it all, he thought as he went on in a low voice. "I saved myself. I'm a kriffing coward. I'm not an example for anyone. And I can't…forgive myself for that. I've tried…but I can't."

Ezra almost got off the bed to go to him, but Marellus put out a hand to still him. "You were scared, and you were too young. What Padawan has not made mistakes, child?"

"Jedi don't make mistakes," he said wretchedly, head down.

This time, Ezra did get off the bed and came over to wrap his arms around Kanan. Reflexively, Kanan returned the embrace. He could feel a strength flow into him over the tentative bond they shared and knew it couldn't be. Given time, the boy would bond with Marellus, when he, himself, was out of the way.

"That is the dark side talking, young one. You must let this go. Forgive yourself."

 _"_ I can't be a Master… I've never passed the trials…"

Marellus shook his head. "The time for the prescribed rituals of the Jedi Order has ended. You have already faced some of the Jedi Trials, Caleb Dume. The Trials of Isolation, Fear and Betrayal have been passed. You were given this Padawan, and the _Ghost_ crew, to protect. You did not falter at that Trial of Protection. The work is not done, however. The Trial of Forgiveness is at hand. You must forgive yourself. For everything that has happened in the past. Your Master's death had nothing to do with your leaving her. Had you stayed, you would be dead as well. The Force has moved you where you were supposed to be. It put you right here, right now, for this child. You must let your pain go, Padawan."

"I…" Kanan looked down at the kid who was standing beside him. Ezra's blue eyes were bright with worry. _They don't need to be burdened with you. They will die if you stay. You'll only run in the end._ He'd been listening to the words so long that he took them for his own without realizing.

Marellus watched the struggle on Kanan's features and knew the battle he was fighting. Even now, the dark side was dissuading him from moving on. The Dark wanted him to stay fixated upon the one mistake of his life, so that it could continue its slow conquest of his heart and his soul.

"I…can't." He hung his head.

Marellus dropped his gaze as well, obviously disappointed. He laid a gentle hand on Kanan's shoulder for a moment, then let it slide off as he walked to the door. He paused, and spoke softly at the door before leaving. "That will be why you fail."


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This mentions in very GENERAL language what I've hit on in a few other chapters (what happened to Sabine when she escaped and was recaptured by the Stormtroopers). No graphic details or anything like that, however. Please enjoy the story!

**Chapter 14**

Kanan had almost made his way back to the _Ghost_ when he saw the strange object hovering in the air near the ship.

Half of him had thought that when he got back, the _Ghost_ would be gone. Hera would have found out he was gone, and decide to leave him on this rock. The later it got, the more certain he was that it was true. He'd found the bar in town: a nice little dark spacer's bar where he had graduated from Ebla to hard spice liquor over the course of the night. Whatever the local distillation was, it was potent, and by the early morning, when the place was about to close down for the night, he had pretty well tied one on and, surprise, surprise…he had gotten into a bar fight that got him kicked out of the place. He'd had so much to drink that he was numb to the pain from the cut lip.

He wasn't thinking about that, however, as he staggered his way out of the city and into the forest; he was still thinking about what the old man had said. Marellus was delusional if he thought that Kanan could be the kid's Jedi Master. Kanan snorted at the very idea as he determined the right direction to get him back to the ship.

_Surprised you will be, if try you do._

He frowned at the long dead voice of Master Yoda in his mind. Karking spice liquor. You could never tell what it would do to you. Sometimes it would deaden his Force senses, other times it would make them razor-sharp and bring the past to the forefront of his mind. And it was never predictable, but he always came back to it again and again, hoping he'd be lucky enough to drink himself into oblivion.

Back to the problem at hand.  Taking a Padawan learner was ridiculous. First, Kanan wasn't even fully trained, at anything. He'd only completed less than a year as a Padawan when everything had gone to shit. Secondly, he hadn't been a Jedi for a long time now. In fact, he'd spent his time trying to be as un-Jedi-like as possible. He was a smuggler, a brawler, a drinker and a liar; he and Marellus were miles apart, and it was apparent who the boy would be best off with.

He was surprised to feel a little twinge of jealousy as that thought took root in his mind. Taking care of the kid today, being there for him, had felt so right. As he'd sat comforting Ezra that morning in the sun, he had felt a sense of peace he hadn't known since the Jedi temple. He'd felt capable of making a difference, and the feeling of responsibility had been something he'd been grateful for rather than feeling like a yoke around his neck, as it usually did. As much as he tried to ignore it, he wished he had been a stronger person in the years between the loss of his Master and now. He regretted the wasted time that he'd spent wallowing in self-pity and anger, but there was no taking it back. It was wrong to deny Ezra the chance to learn from a real Jedi master…one who didn't carry bad habits and the restless ghosts of the past along with him.

With a self-conscious gesture, he swiped at his eyes, and continued on his way. "Kriff," he muttered. He needed to get out of here as soon as he could. Things would be simple then, and he could return to just being responsible for himself. That was what he was best at...right? Being selfish?

He saw the twin lights of the _Ghost's_ ramp, and headed that way. Maybe he should just sleep outside, he thought. It felt disrepsectful to stumble aboard Hera's ship so karking drunk he could hardly walk. It was no big deal. He'd slept in places that made the outdoors look tame by comparison.

As he reached the ramp, he heard it. A sound broke through his mental fog, and he heard a soft whirring noise coming from above him. He scanned the sky, feeling the back of his neck prickle as the whirring continued.

He reached down and _called_ his blaster into his hand, without realizing it. There was nothing against the black of the sky, but then he _looked_ with the Force and thought he saw something. He took the shot, but he missed. "Kriff!" He muttered, narrowing his eyes and focusing on the blob of shadow. He took another shot, and was rewarded by sparks. Then, he heard the whirring moving away from the ship.

"What the hell are you doing?" It was Hera, followed by Zeb. They were climbing down from the upper level.

"I saw something up there…" He muttered as he narrowed his eyes and tried to aim again, but it was gone. He leaned back too far, lost his balance and fell on his rear, landing on the ramp of the ship. It was easier to lean back than it was to get up, so he laid back and scanned the sky once more, aiming with his blaster.

"What the kriff?" Hera looked at Zeb as she commed Chopper. "Chopper scan the area."

Zeb knelt down beside Kanan. "What did you get into tonight?"

Kanan lowered his blaster. "Spice liquor. Um…watch out. The local homebrew's a little strong." He snorted to himself and tried to focus on Zeb. "Uh…are you moving or is it just me?"

"It's you. You must have a deathwish, Kanan. That stuff's poison." Zeb shook his head.

"Chopper says there's nothing up there." Hera said, coming over to kneel by Kanan.

"I heard it. Saw sparks when I hit it. Seriously."

She looked a little incredulous. "Zeb. Do a quick check, will you?"

Zeb nodded and headed out into the woods. "Gimme the blaster, please." Hera held out her hand. "Don't need you shooting up the place tonight."

"Okay." He handed it over. "I did see something, though."

"Maybe," she said non-committedly. "Let's just see what Zeb says."

She handed the gun to Zeb when he returned. "See anything?" she asked.

"Nothing." Zeb replied, peering at Kanan again. "Let's get him inside, then I can go back out and take a better look, just in case." Together they escorted Kanan back inside the ship.

* * *

Sabine gave a quick knock before hearing Ezra answer, "Come in."

She whipped inside the room, closing the door quickly. "Ezra. What's going on?" There was a spooked expression in her dark brown eyes.

He was sitting on the bed, cross-legged style. "I went out a minute ago to see. It's Kanan. I think he's drunk." Ezra didn't think; he knew for sure. He could feel the murky confusion of the former Jedi's thoughts, with that strange taint of sadness and hopelessness. He was edging the void again, and it made Ezra feel sick inside.

Sabine came over and climbed up on the bed beside him. "He was shooting…I think…"

"Yeah." Ezra nodded. "I crept out and took a look into the cargo bay. I saw Hera take his blaster. It's kinda bad, I guess."

Sabine nodded, and they listened as they heard the sounds of people moving around in the ship.

"What's going on with you?" This, from Hera.

They both listened for the reply. "I don't know what you mean." Kanan's voice, thick with alcohol, slurred his words. "I'm all good."

Hera had an irritated note to her voice. "We lose track of you the whole evening. Then you come back shitfaced. With a split lip. And everything's supposed to be 'all good'?"

"I can just go if that's what you want." He replied sharply. When Sabine looked at Ezra she saw fear in his eyes.

"No, you stupid nerfherder!" There was a whack. "I want you to stop being so karking hardheaded and kriffing talk to me."

"Things…things aren't as simple as you think."

"Okay. Explain it. I'm listening." They heard Hera reply. There was a long pause.

"Kanan..." They heard the warning note in Hera's voice. There was another long pause.

"It's Ezra." Kanan said with a tone of resignation. "Marellus wants me to train him as a Jedi. The old man sees a Force bond between us…and I…I can't let that happen." At Kanan's reply, Ezra bit his lip hard. Without a word, Sabine took Ezra's hand in hers and squeezed it. It was obvious that Ezra cared about Kanan; the pain on Ezra's face said how those words hurt. Sabine could feel the slow burn of anger working its way up from her gut, but she kept it off her face as she waited on the rest of the conversation.

"Okay. Why not?" Hera challenged.

"Are you seriously asking me that? I'm a drunk bar brawler with all but 10 credits to my name. The kid needs to train with Marellus. He's the Jedi. If I…stay around, the bond we have will strengthen and then..." He trailed off, obviously lost in thought.

"Why can't you both train Ezra?"

"It. . .doesn't work that way."

By now, Ezra's eyes were shiny with tears that spilled and began to stream down his face. The rest of Kanan and Hera's conversation was lost as Sabine comforted him.

"It's okay." Sabine reached out and pulled him into an embrace. "It's okay." She cast a baleful glance at the door, wondering if she could keep her temper from bursting. Right now, she wanted to go out there and tell Kanan off. No, she wanted to shoot him in both kneecaps. She wanted to hit him until he took back those words that caused that crumpled, sad look on Ezra's face. "Don't you worry, okay?" She said. "You'll never be alone, as long as I'm around because…I love you, Ezra Bridger." She felt her heart about to burst out of her chest.

He sat up with a stunned look on his features, his eyes wide and rimmed with tears. "What?"

She smiled a little shyly. "I said…I love you, you big dumb nerf."

He let out a shaky breath. "I loved you the first time I saw you, Sabine Wren." He took her hand in his own again.

"Well, I can't hold that against you. I'm just a little pickier than you are," she joked, but then her face grew serious.

He worried at what that look could mean as he watched her struggle with what she was about to say. "Ezra…are you sure about me, though? I'm…damaged goods, you know-" She paused as her eyes skated to a spot to his left and stayed there, as if she was afraid to see the expression on his face.

"You're not—" he said, shaking his head firmly.

"Let me finish." She said, not unkindly, as she forced herself to look at him again. Then, her voice dropped another few notches until it was barely audible. "This...between us...has to move really slow. Do you understand?" Her brown eyes found his own and he saw how vulnerable she was at that moment, behind the confidence. And he loved her. Force, how he loved her.

He nodded once. "I understand," he answered softly.

"And that's okay with you?" she said in a tone of disbelief, one eyebrow raised.

"It doesn't change anything about how I feel." His heart was plainly there, in his eyes. She could see he meant what he said as she glanced down and saw the gentle way his thumb was caressing the back of her hand.

"Will you kiss me?" she whispered. They had leaned forward and were so close now they were taking each other's breath.

His mouth brushed hers and her lips parted for him. The kiss was slow and gentle, and when he backed away, he hoped he'd done it right. There was a shining look in her eyes when they finally opened again.

"Wow," she whispered.

"Is that a good 'wow' or a 'wow, I can't believe how bad that was, wow?'"

"Mmm, not sure. Maybe we should try again," she whispered, leaning in and pulling him close again with a gentle touch on his cheek.

* * *

In the other room, the conversation went on. Kanan scrubbed at his face, and continued softly. "Training is one Padawan, one Master. I wish it worked the other way. I kriffin' care about the kid. And the rest of you. Force, Hera!" She didn't miss the way he swiped at his eyes as he looked away.

"Come here," she sighed, pulling him into her arms. He went willingly, and she noticed with a flutter that his body was warm against her own and seemed to fit just right. "Don't make any decisions yet. You're not feeling well, and neither is Ezra. You need to heal up before you make a decision to…to just leave." How she wanted to hold onto him and keep him from running…but if there was ever a situation to hold on loosely, this was it, so she reluctantly let him go.

"I…I um…guess you're right." He nodded. "For now."

"Good." She reluctantly let him go, and looked up as Zeb came back from checking the forest around them. The older Lasat raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "What did you find out?"

"I couldn't find anything." Zeb said.

"I shot something. It was hovering there in the dark, making a…a uh…whirring noise." Something about that whirring nagged the back of his mind, and he frowned.

Hera's eyes narrowed. Kanan could have just been out of it…he'd had enough to drink, certainly, she thought as she looked into his bleary eyes.

"Let's go ahead and make some hyperspace jumps. We can stay a jump or two away until our meeting with Fulcrum…"

She noticed as Kanan seemed to relax a little at her suggestion. Whether he'd seen something or not, he obviously believed he'd seen something. "I'll go ahead to the cockpit and get started. Make sure he drinks some water before he goes to bed."

"You got it, Hera." Zeb replied.

* * *

When Zeb finally got Kanan off to bed, he headed back to his room. He raised an eyebrow quizzically when he palmed the door.

Sabine was in the kid's bunk. Ezra was asleep, curled up on one end of the bed, and Sabine was curled at the opposite end, asleep as well. Zeb figured Kanan's blaster fire had woken Sabine and she'd come to find Ezra. It was obvious that being around Ezra calmed the kit, so it made sense that she'd sought him out.

Zeb reached to the bunk above, pulling his blanket off the bed. With a gentle motion, he covered the girl, making sure that she would be warm enough. He wanted to put a pillow under her head, but with her jumpiness, he didn't want to scare her by trying to slip it under. He left her lying there, her head pillowed on her arm.

"G'night, Sabine." He murmured, and then turned to see Ezra's bruised face buried in his pillow. The kit had a lot more healing to do. Gently, he tucked Ezra's blanket around him, then made his way back out, leaving both kits asleep.

When he hit the hallway, Hera was there. "Hard to sleep?"

"I think all that earlier woke the kits up. They're asleep now, in there. Both of 'em." He jerked his thumb toward his room. "I'd move Sabine back, but she's a little. . .um. . ."

"Jumpy. Yeah. Wouldn't recommend that." Hera said, laying a hand on his arm. "Come on. Maybe a cup of tea will help us both fall asleep."

"Yeah, if I put a little of what Kanan had in it." Zeb raised an eyebrow as they walked toward the kitchen. "Great bantha, that must have been some strong local rocket-fuel."

Hera gave him a rueful smile. "Yeah." She set about heating water and leaned back against the countertop. "We've made three of the five jumps we have to make to get us to Odilon. Chopper's keeping watch." She looked back at the water, then glanced up at Zeb. "Hey. How did it go from just you, me and Chopper to seven of us?"

"Don't know. Guess the Ashla just put us in the right place at the right time. What do you think Fulcrum will say? Two Jedi and a Force-sensitive kid…and a runaway from the Imperial Academy?"

Hera shook her head, pouring the hot liquid into two cups for them. She added Zingbee honey to both cups and handed Zeb his mug. "I'm sure she will want them to join up." Zeb followed her to the Dejarik table, where they sat. "Marellus probably will. I am fairly sure that Ezra and Sabine will, as well. But Kanan…" She shook her head. "I don't know."

"I can tell you like him…" Zeb said, taking a sip of the herbal tea and raising an eyebrow to gently tease her. "Don't try and cover it up," he smirked as her face colored.

"Maybe," she sighed. "One minute he's ready to fight to the death for those kids, and then the next, he's saying what a bad person he is. For example…what he did in the bar when we initially met him. Later that same night, he claims he's nothing but an alcoholic bar brawler."

"He's a good man." Zeb said. "Even though he doesn't seem to see it."

"I know. Marellus said he's struggling with losing his Jedi Master. He has a lot of guilt for surviving when she didn't. Maybe that's the reason he doesn't want to become Ezra's teacher? Fear of losing someone again?" she sighed, rubbing her forehead. "I want to help, but…"

"You're afraid he'll take off."

"Yeah."

"He might. But he might not." Zeb scratched his beard, thoughtfully. "I can see it going either way."

"Well, he's promised to stay at least until we meet Fulcrum. Zeb. I know he wants to stay with us, deep down. I think he's just afraid."

Zeb gazed into the bottom of his cup. "I think they're all afraid. Ezra, Kanan and Sabine…" His thoughts turned to the former academy student. He had to admit, he had developed an affection for both the kits, but Sabine, even more so. She was a scrapper, and he admired that. He'd watched her go back for Ezra without hesitation when she'd thought he was in danger. The Lasat was positive that without him to hold her back, she would have tried to free Ezra right away. She'd been almost constantly by his bedside when they got back, and he admired that loyalty and devotion. "I hope the kits stay on. Sabine and Ezra need a home…and a family."

Hera's face dropped as she thought again about Sabine's past. She'd decided, at first, that she shouldn't tell Zeb what had happened to Sabine; he would take it too hard. But…if the kids did decide to stay, Zeb might need to know why Sabine seemed strung so tight all the time. "Um…Kanan told me something…about Sabine… that you probably should know, if she's going to be staying with us." Hera said delicately.

Zeb's ears twitched. "Yeah, what is it?"

"You know Sabine ran away from the Academy, right?"

Zeb nodded. "She told me that she left because of what the Empire was doing on places like Lasan."

Hera caught his gaze. "They caught her, Zeb."

"What do you mean?" Zeb's green eyes widened as he sat up more fully.

She reached out and placed a hand on the soft downy fur of his arm. "Stormtroopers caught her. They beat her…" she heaved a sigh, looking down, "And…they raped her, Zeb."

Zeb was so distressed, he couldn't speak for long moments. He stared down at Hera's touch on his arm as his mouth worked uselessly.

"She fought them, but there were too many. Kanan told me Ezra found her and took care of her as she healed up. It's why they have such a tight connection."

Zeb took a deep breath and turned away, reeling. It made sense. Her uncomfortableness with people being too near, her distrust of everyone upon initially meeting them. Her rush to anger…her dependence on Ezra. It all made sense. He wanted to scream, punch the wall and hurt something, but none of those things could be done on the sleeping ship, and they wouldn't help anyway. He lowered his head and tried to quell the anger boiling in him.

"I just wanted you to know. So that you could understand her better. She has a rapport with you." She could see the Lasat trembling. Every muscle in his body was clenched and he'd squeezed his eyes shut. She leaned in to put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Zeb. Please. Talk to me. Are you okay?" He didn't answer, and she rubbed his shoulder slowly and hoped she hadn't made a mistake by confiding in him.

After a few moments, he seemed to gather himself together. "No. But I'll make it." The growl of anger in his voice said it all. It was impossible not to feel an overwhelming rage. "The poor kit…"

"She needs us, Zeb. Ezra too. We've gotta keep it together for them. Don't let on that you know. But just…be there for her. Keep an eye on her, so that we can help her better."

He nodded, slowly. "I will. Don't worry." She saw him brush his large paw under his eyes, and she looked down for a moment, giving him a minute to pull himself back together.

"You gonna be okay? Are you going to be able to sleep?"

He nodded slowly. "I'll go in in a bit. I just need a few minutes."

"I'm sorry…I didn't want to tell you, but I thought…"

"No, I'm glad you told me. I needed to know, Hera."

She got up and took her mug into the kitchen, rinsing it out and leaving it to be cleaned in the morning. When she came back by, Zeb's head was inclined. He was deep in thought, but he looked up when she leaned in and placed a kiss on the top of his head. "What would I do without you?" she murmured gently.

"You would be fine." Zeb murmured with a smile.

"No, I don't think so. I thank the stars that you're with me everyday." She hugged him tightly. "Goodnight, Zeb. Get some rest."

* * *

**A/N: Hi, all. This is a little late, but better late than never. I had to put some final finishing touches on it (like our scene with Sabine and Ezra... which was my favorite part. Y'all have made me start shipping them now. I have TWO stories where they are an item now...(check out "Not to Yield" if you're interested).) I plan that the next chapter will be action-packed if everything works out ok. And hopefully there's more Kanera to come...there just wasn't room for it in this chapter. As always, I'd love to know what you think! Thank you so much for sticking with me this far.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember, I'm trying to post two chapters a day so make sure you've read both. I think I forgot yesterday...sorry! Hope you enjoy and thanks so much for the comments and kind words.

15

When Kanan finally awoke, he checked the chronometer on his comm with bleary eyes. It was mid-morning, and his head pounded like it normally did after a bender. He sat up, whacking his head against the upper bunk.

"Kriff!" he growled, putting his hand to his head and grimacing.

There was no reply except the gentle rock of the ship as it made its way through hyperspace. So they were on the move. Why a day early? He tried to think back, but everything was blurry. He remembered Hera, and firing his blaster. _Sith hells_ , he thought, _what the kriff was I shooting at?_ He figured it must not have been too bad, because he was still on the _Ghost_ ; however, his holster was empty.

He'd been sleeping in his clothes; his eyes were gritty and he smelled…well, like a bar. He gathered up his bag with a change of clothes and headed for the fresher, still trying to remember what had happened the previous night.

As he crossed the hallway, he could hear noise and conversation from the cargo bay, but he didn't see anyone, until his hand touched the fresher door and he was met by Sabine coming out.

She stopped and glared at him.

"Sorry." He muttered, backing out of the doorway so she could come out.

"Yes. You are," she snarled at him.

"Woah. What's up with the attitude?" He held up both hands in self-defense.

She looked at him, from under strands of her fine silver hair. "Don't you know, you son-of-a-bantha, or were you just so karking drunk you don't remember?" She leaned in, the corners of her mouth turned down in a frown.

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about," he said, completely confused.

She narrowed her eyes at him. "You're just lucky I haven't blown off your kneecaps for what you said last night. Isn't it about checkout time for you?" She poked him in the chest.

His eyes were wide. "Wh—what?"

"You. Your life's been nothing but a carbon flush, right? No one needs you here, least of all, Ezra."

Kanan felt completely blown back by the force of her anger. "Look…whatever I've done to piss you off…"

"Look. You've got problems—it's obvious. We all do. But what you said last night…you're right. You're not the kind of teacher he needs." She glanced over his rumpled clothes and hair. "You're a drunk brawler, a jet-juicer destined for an early grave, right?"

Her words were like punches to the gut and knife wounds to the heart. They echoed all the things that he had thought countless times, but never had the courage to say aloud.

"That's all you are, _right_?" she said. Her words challenged him to prove her wrong.

His mouth worked soundlessly, trying to explain what she'd obviously overheard the previous night, but nothing came. He had no defense. He was everything she had said, he realized, as his eyes slid away from her own. Maybe this was for the best. "I'm going," he said bitterly, his face hardening. "As soon as Hera can drop me off at a port."

"Good," she said. There was a note to her voice that almost hinted at surprise, as if she'd expected him to put up a fight but she said nothing further. She merely clutched her clothing closer to her as she dodged by him.

Kanan went into the fresher, feeling nauseous. With a growl and not caring if anyone heard, he slammed his fist into the wall, twice. The pain was instantaneous, and it distracted from the pain in his heart. He placed his forehead against the cool metal wall and struggled to swallow the nausea that threatened.

Whatever he'd done or said while he was drunk had obviously been enough to cause the anger he saw in Sabine's eyes, and he hated himself for it. He didn't deserve to apologize. It was better this way. He sank down on his knees and squeezed his eyes shut as he cradled his swelling hand. They'd make the meet with Hera's contact, then Hera could drop him off on the nearest planet with a starport. It was all for the best.

* * *

There was an uneasy peace the rest of the day. Hera hadn't asked about the new dent in the fresher or the swelling bruises on Kanan's knuckles, but had simply handed him a cold pack for them, along with his wayward blaster.

The former Jedi could feel the hurt radiating from Ezra, as soon as he entered the common area. The longer they spent in the same room, the more uncomfortable it became. So, except for mealtimes, he confined himself to his room. When late afternoon came, Marellus caught him in their quarters.

"Follow me, Jarrus." Marellus asked. He obviously sensed that something was wrong, but wisely, he'd chosen not to remark upon it in the course of the afternoon. "Bring your lightsaber."

"Why?" Kanan already had it on his belt.

"Do me the honor of sparring against me, one time before you go. It has been a long time." He smiled.

"I'm not in practice." He said, following the old man back into the hallway unwillingly.

"I didn't ask that." Marellus said obliquely. "Any practice is better than no practice at all."

Kanan hesitated, wanting to back out. "I…"

"Come along, and humor an old man," he said, and something made Kanan's feet follow.

* * *

"You need to center yourself in the Force. Your thoughts are fragmented, Padawan. Forget them, just breathe. Just focus on the feeling of the Force flowing through your hands to your feet."

Kanan closed his eyes, tapping back into the Force which bucked and fought him. In his slightly hungover state, it was like riding a wild bantha, but he held on tightly. "Okay. Come on." He growled, throwing his saber up into a ready position. It was already in training mode, just as Marellus's was.

"Move through your anger and let it go." Marellus settled into a Form Two stance.

With a sigh, Kanan set himself up in a Form Three stance, and did the best he could to clear his mind. With the confrontation with Sabine and the events of the previous night, it was difficult.

Beat, beat, lunge. The rhythm of their lightsabers clashing and their footwork echoed throughout the cargo bay and the ship.

When Kanan glanced up to see Zeb and Ezra standing on the walkway above the cargo bay, his form slipped and Marellus slashed him, a blow that stung. He rubbed his arm as Marellus retreated to give him a chance to regroup.

"You're distracted, kid."

"Tell me something I don't know." Kanan replied. "And don't call me kid."

"You must face the things you fear." Marellus said, bringing their blades together once again as they eyed each other. "Then you will see clearly again." He began to attack, using a combination of forms. Kanan mounted a good defense, but eventually Marellus scored another hit, this time on the wrist.

Kanan frowned, and took up a guard position again, and they began another series of attacks, parries and ripostes. Once again Marellus forced him back with his blade, then hit him with a Force push, throwing Kanan against the wall.

It was as if Marellus was TRYING to piss him off, Kanan realized. If that's what the old man wanted…he would oblige. Kanan got to his feet, a growl coming from him as he clenched his teeth. "Oh, so it's like that, huh?"

"Yes it is, young one. Rarely will your opponents be predictable, but you knew that already. Let your anger go into the Force and defeat me." Marellus pushed.

"Okay. You got it. See if this is predictable." Kanan narrowed his eyes in concentration as he readied himself once again in the opening stance of Form Three. He parried two attacks, and then abruptly changed his style. Zeb and Ezra watched, stunned as his movements became faster and flowing like a rapid river, one into the next, almost too fast to be discerned. His attacks were ferocious and punctuated by growls and roars of anger, as he attacked without giving Marellus a second to recover.

His master, Depa Billaba, and his master's master, Mace Windu, had been practitioners of Vaapad, the form he was using. It was a darker way of combat, one that Marellus certainly hadn't expected from a half-trained Padawan such as himself. His form wasn't perfect, Master Billaba had only shown him a few things before her death. By no means did that make him well-versed in the moves, but it was unexpected enough to turn the tide. With a dark thrill, Kanan felt the Force intensify around him and bend to his will. He didn't simply want to fight Marellus and hold his own, he wanted to defeat him at any cost. The power behind his lightning attacks slowly forced Marellus back across the bay and toward the wall. The Jedi's saber went flying as Kanan Force pushed Marellus against the wall, and then brought his saber to bear at the older Jedi's neck.

"Padawan." Marellus put the light in that word, along with all the authority of a Master, and Kanan immediately realized his error. He'd allowed himself to walk the event horizon of the dark side once again.

Kanan's eyes glowed with something unnatural for a moment, then faded to blue-green. In horror, he dropped his blade and retreated. "I'm done with this bantha-shit." He climbed the ladder rapidly and pushed past Zeb and Ezra, a tight expression of disgust on his features.

But he did not run far. When Marellus entered the quarters they were sharing, he found Kanan sitting on the end of his bed, his face in his hands.

"Kanan," he began.

"No." Kanan lifted his head and held out a hand. "No. I don't want to hear it."

"You're struggling with something that…"

"I know exactly what I'm struggling with, and as soon as I can get off this ship, I won't be anymore." Narrowing his eyes at Marellus, he lowered his voice. "I'm getting off at the next spaceport. So, go find someone else to save." His gaze turned hard as he looked into nothingness. "I'm not going to ruin that kid with my karking problems."

"The Force has shown me you'll walk a dark path that will destroy you if you get off at that spaceport." Marellus said softly. "But the choice, ultimately, is yours."

Kanan looked up, but Marellus was already gone.

* * *

The next morning, they landed on Odilon a few minutes before the scheduled meet with Hera's contact. She set them down in one of the few green valleys left, a secluded place high in the mountains. There was a small ship nearby, a smaller freighter than the _Ghost_ , of indeterminate origin. Hera could see, however, that modifications had been made; the ship was heavily armored and well-equipped with guns. "The mountains are filled with minerals that may disrupt sensors, so we should be safe for a short while," Hera said, as she left the cargo bay, walking down the ramp followed by Sabine, Marellus, Ezra and Zeb. Kanan trailed behind, glancing around as if expecting an ambush at any moment.

The other ship's ramp extended and a dark cloaked figure exited. Kanan guessed it was a female by the slight frame of the being that made their way to them. All of a sudden, he felt the eyes of the figure sweep them, and he knew that this person in front of them was a powerful Force-sensitive. He came on, wondering who or what she was while his hand brushed over the grip of his blaster.

The person reached up and lowered her hood, and he saw the blue and white striped Montrals of a Togruta.

"Padawan Tano?" Marellus said in surprise.

"Yes, but I am no Jedi, Master Varro." Ahsoka bowed her head.

Kanan came forward, and saw that it was, indeed, Ahsoka Tano, one of the most famous Padawans before she'd quit the order. He bowed his head, in greeting as well.

"And…" her eyes narrowed as she swept over him with the Force. "Caleb Dume?" She stepped forward and took Varro's hand, then Kanan's. "You were younger last time we met." She laughed sadly. "But then, I suppose I was, as well."

"I go by Kanan Jarrus now," Kanan murmured, "but I still remember you." They'd sparred a few times at the Temple, when Ahsoka was not on mission with her famous Master, Anakin Skywalker.

She glanced from Kanan to Marellus and then her eyes rested on Ezra. "Ah…a youngling?"

"Yes. This is Ezra." Marellus said.

"Ezra Bridger." Ezra said, offering his hand. They shook as she examined him.

"You have much light in you, Ezra Bridger," she said gently, then turned her view on the rest of the little group. "Hera, I am glad you are safe. Please introduce me to the rest of the crew."

"This is Zeb, who you are already familiar with."

"Captain Orrelios. It is an honor to meet you," she bowed her head.

"Same here." Zeb gave her a toothy grin.

"And this is Sabine Wren." Hera placed a hand on Sabine's shoulder. "She and Ezra came to us together. Sabine escaped from the Imperial Academy to fight the Empire with Ezra."

"I'm very glad to meet you."

Sabine nodded. The Togruta woman's presence had a calming effect on her.

"Well. We should get to business and make this as quick as possible." She glanced to each one of them in turn. "Please follow me." She made her way to her ramp and they all followed, crowding into her ship's common area.

"I am here to ask you if you will join us in fighting against the Empire. The operation is growing slowly and operating mostly in isolation at this point in time, but there will come a time when we will rise up together to stand against the darkness of the Empire. Will you join us?"

"I will." Marellus said first. "I welcome the chance to foil the Empire's plans."

"Sabine and I will do whatever we can." Ezra said, stepping forward with Sabine.

"I would like Ezra and Sabine to join my crew, if possible." Hera said, checking with each of them. "We could use your skills on the _Ghost_ , and I must admit, I've grown quite fond of both of you."

Ezra and Sabine's smile made Ahsoka smile as well. "If they are amenable to that, I think that would be a good idea. And you, Kanan Jarrus?"

"I've asked Kanan to stay as well." Hera said softly, looking to him.

Kanan had remained at the doorway that led to the ramp. He crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "Sorry. I've got to move on."

Hera shot him a shocked look, but he only looked away. Zeb started to say something, but Hera held up a hand for silence. Fulcrum glanced to Ezra and Sabine in time to see the girl take his hand and squeeze it tightly.

"Very well." Ahsoka said slowly, feeling as if there was much here that she didn't understand. "That's…"

She was interrupted by a soft warning sound coming from a panel in the cockpit, which was close by. At the same moment, Hera received a message over her comm with Chopper's excited beeping.

"A ship is landing in the valley." Hera said tightly. "It's an Imperial transport."

An explosion near Ahsoka's ship rocked it from side to side.

Kanan quickly pulled both pieces of his lightsaber off his belt, and he clicked them together. "We need to go."

Marellus called his lightsaber into his own hand, as they heard blaster fire begin outside the ship. Apparently, they were trying to disable both freighters, to keep them from leaving. Sabine and Ezra exchanged glances as she wordlessly handed him a blaster and followed Kanan and Marellus to the ramp.

The _Ghost_ and Ahsoka's ship were settled across from each other; nearby, squads of stormtroopers took shots to keep them pinned down in Ahsoka's ship. Behind the troopers was the figure of the Pau'an Inquisitor. When Ezra saw that, he paled. "Sabine…" he mumbled in a panic.

"I see him!" she yelled, taking a shot that the creature deflected back at them with a red lightsaber blade. "Kriff!" She ducked as she heard it zip by.

"Cover us. I'll get Hera to the ship." Marellus yelled, knowing that Hera could do more on her ship than they could do pinned here. "Stay behind me." He set out with Hera following, deflecting the blaster bolts away from them and toward the troopers.

The Pau'an advanced on them menacingly. As Marellus kept his eye on the Imperial, Kanan noticed the Fifth Brother was creeping up on them from behind.

The former Jedi ignited his blue blade and glanced at Ahsoka and Zeb. "Keep the kids safe."

"Kanan—" Zeb began, but it was too late. Kanan had already burst from the ship, deflecting shots by tapping into the Force and using it to sense the impending danger around him. With a huge, Force-assisted leap, he landed in front of the larger, grey-skinned humanoid.

"Ah, good. We will get both Jedi out of the way quickly." The Fifth Brother locked lightsabers with Kanan, pushing hard.

"It's not going to be as easy as you think." Kanan growled, fending off the heavy slashes and trying to analyze his opponent's bladework. After fighting him several moments, he realized that the Inquisitor's technique depended mainly on using his huge size and weight to his advantage. Kanan used a Force shove to push the humanoid back and give himself a chance to regroup. He had to stop the threat to Marellus and Hera. Keeping the big creature engaged would also keep him from being a threat to the kids.

At her ship, Ahsoka was busy deflecting shots back at the stormtroopers, away from the Force-sensitives. Sabine, Ezra and Zeb were inside, firing at trooper targets from the safety of the cargo bay. The Togruta exited the ship, in order to move more freely, and that's when she heard a voice behind her.

"Well, well. It's finally Fulcrum." A mechanically modulated female voice came from behind her, and Ahsoka turned to see a thin black figure with her features obscured by a black metal faceplate. The figure leapt from the top of her ship to land between the Togruta and the kids in the cargo bay. With one lazy wave of her hand behind her, the Inquisitor used the Force to send the children and Zeb flying across the bay. They slammed against the bulkheads and slumped to the floor. "I almost missed my chance to meet you." She hit the button on her mask and drew her lightsaber off of her back in a smooth, practiced motion. Her yellow features were lined with red tattoos and angry red scars. The Inquisitor was limping a little and favoring her left side.

Ahsoka noted it, but said nothing, simply waiting in the opening stance of Shien so she could weigh her opponent's strategy, ability and weaknesses.

"The silent type, I see. Not how I remember you, Ahsoka Tano. You were quite the chatterbox as a youngling."

"People change," she replied tersely, realizing this was a former Jedi who had fallen to the dark side. She did not recognize the female Mirialan, but it didn't matter.

"So, they do." The female Inquisitor raised her red blade and attacked with a snarl.

* * *

Kanan's breathing was ragged with pain as he got to his feet, favoring his hurt side. The Inquisitor had used the Force to throw him against the side of the _Ghost_ , and he'd heard something crack when he hit. It felt like a broken rib might have punctured his lung, but he wasn't sure. Desperate to keep himself between Hera, the kids and the other Inquisitor, he opened himself to the Force and felt it thrumming through him to strengthen his physical body and dull the pain.

The Inquisitor continued to hack at him and Kanan shifted into a form three stance. He could still remember his master's words, telling him that even an injured Jedi could hold out a long time by using the techniques of Soresu. _I hope you were right,_ he thought.

Blaster fire zipped through the air around them. As the Inquisitor struggled to land a blow, he overextended himself and wasn't quick enough to block a blaster bolt that struck him in the chest. The blow was blunted by his armor, but it still left a smoking, melted hole.

Kanan glanced in the direction the bolt had come from and saw Ezra's pale face peering out from the cargo bay. The Force flared along the bond they shared. It bolstered Kanan's flagging strength, and he felt grateful for their connection; it reminded him what he was fighting for.

As he narrowed his eyes against the monster in front of him, something became clear. If he was to die defending these kids, Hera, Zeb and the others, it was as worthy a cause as he'd ever found. The realization that he would not run and be a coward came as a surprise to him, but the more he examined it, the more he saw that it was true. The mistake that he'd made as a young, confused, frightened Padawan would not be made again. His hand tightened on his lightsaber grip as he became more and more sure of what he was about to do.

The whispering voice in his mind…the one that said he was nothing but a drunk, useless coward flared up once, then was silent as if it had given up for good.

He began to draw the Force around him tightly, weaving it into the weak and injured places in his body.

"Give us the boy, and we'll let you go in peace."

"Kriff off," Kanan replied, his voice rasping. "You're…not…getting anything."  He spat blood, then readied his blade.

The Inquisitor began a savage attack that pushed Kanan toward Ahsoka and her opponent. The former Jedi blocked several times, gathering the energy for a Force push. He shoved the Inquisitor back and performed a balestra, jumping forward to press his advantage, but his blow went too high. By the time Kanan saw the Inquisitor move his blade into his path, it was too late. Kanan was impaled on the red blade, right below his ribs. He fell to his knees when it was withdrawn, a stricken look on his face. Then he crumpled to the ground in a heap.

Ezra felt Kanan's pain and turned in time to see the former Jedi go down. "NO!" Ezra screamed, as he'd done when in the Grand Inquisitor's cell.

Kanan's opponent clutched his head and crumpled to his knees. Whatever Ezra had done seemed to hurt all of the darksiders. The female Mirialan missed her footing, and Ahsoka managed to slice off her free hand. Ezra shot her as well, but the shot glanced off her armor. The darksider screamed in rage; and renewed her attack on Ahsoka, who moved away from the cargo bay to draw the female away from everyone else. Zeb and the kids seemed to be able to handle themselves well enough against the stormtroopers. Ahsoka hoped their luck would continue.

The Inquisitor that had been fighting Kanan, got to his feet and began to engage Ahsoka as well. Together, both Inquisitors drove her toward the side of her ship. The Togruta's white sabers flashed about her like a star as she defended.

* * *

Hera backed toward the _Ghost_ as Marellus fought the Grand Inquisitor. She dared not fire at the battling Force-users for fear that she might hit the Jedi, but if she could get to the ship, she could use its weapons to take down the remaining storm troopers who were firing sporadically and keeping Ezra, Zeb and Sabine pinned down in Ahsoka's ship.

She fired as she ran, hoping to create her own cover. She made a leap for the cargo bay and saw that there were two troopers inside. She took one down with a head shot, while the other aimed at her. She knew at this range they could not miss, so she was surprised when the shot went wide and the trooper screamed. She shot him, and saw when he crumpled to the floor, that Chopper was behind him, shock prod sparking and extended.

"Thanks Chop." She called, rapidly ascending the ladder to the turrets. In a moment, the _Ghost's_ heavy armaments were focused on the stormtrooper positions and Hera gritted her teeth as she drove them back and hoped for the best. She could see the Grand Inquisitor fighting Marellus and the white gleam of what had to be Fulcrum's lightsabers. That was when she noticed that Fulcrum had two attackers. Where was Kanan?

She glanced around and saw a huddled green and brown dressed figure on the ground.

"No….no…no." She shook her head, hitting her comms. "Kanan!"

There was no answer. She saw stormtroopers advancing on him and she let loose an expertly placed barrage to hold them back.

Desperately she called him again. "Kanan, are you there? Respond!"

There was no answer.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget I posted two chapters (I'm getting you guys on here up to date with the version of this story on fanfiction.net.). Thanks for reading!!!

16.

Marellus had driven the Grand Inquisitor back toward his troops and away from their own ships. He was winning, but just barely; both he and the Inquisitor were unsteady on their feet. Marellus was fighting at a disadvantage with his off-hand because he'd lost part of his sword hand to the Inquisitor's blade. He pushed the pain away and readied himself for the Grand Inquisitor's next blow. The Inquisitor had several wounds to his arms and one to his right side, which had slowed him down considerably as well.

During a break in the fighting, Marellus glanced to Ahsoka to see how she fared. The Togruta was holding back two Inquisitors, and the battle was beginning to wear on her, he could tell.

With a feral growl, the Grand Inquisitor returned to advance against him again. He didn't see how he could beat the Inquisitor, much less beat him in time to help Ahsoka win her battle. Darth Vader's servant had been a Jedi before he turned to the dark, and he switched combat styles flawlessly.  The foul creature was especially familiar with Juyo.

He centered himself in the Force and all of a sudden, a certainty bloomed in his mind. He might lose this battle, but the others would survive, if he could hold the Grand Inquisitor back long enough. He grimaced through the blood that splattered his face and steeled himself to hold out just a little longer.

* * *

Ahsoka's strength was flagging. She noticed some of the troopers had backed off after taking fire from the _Ghost,_ but it had no bearing on her battle. The Inquisitor she knew as the Fifth Brother was a strong opponent and the female Mirialan was driven by hate to attack again and again, dividing the Togruta's attention.

Working together, they threw her into the side of her ship. The world grayed out a moment, and she slumped to the ground. When she recovered herself, the Fifth Brother was there, looking down on her and raising his lightsaber to deliver a killing blow.

Ahsoka gritted her teeth, throwing up her lightsaber to block the blow, but before they could clash, the Inquisitor was thrown to the side by a wave of Force energy so strong, it made Ahsoka's bones rattle.

Bloody and limping, Kanan advanced on the Inquisitor. The Fifth Brother landed near Ezra, Zeb and Sabine, who immediately began to blast him. Two shots hit before the Inquisitor's lightsaber began to spin, deflecting all the other shots back and causing them to duck.

He grinned at the thought of the impending bloodshed until he heard a voice over his shoulder.

"We…are…not… ** _done_** …"

A wave of the Fifth Brother's hand and Ezra, Zeb and Sabine went flying into the bulkhead.

Irritated, the Fifth Brother turned with his lightsaber to face Kanan. "Just lie down and **DIE, Jedi!** "

"You first." Kanan ignited his saber, waiting on his opponent's move. The red blade came down swiftly, and Kanan blocked with a growl. They traded blows back and forth until the Inquisitor became frustrated and used a Force push to slam Kanan back and to the ground. The Inquisitor began to choke the Jedi, holding him with the Force until he stopped moving. Staring for a moment at the obviously dead Jedi lying in a twisted heap, the Fifth Brother turned back to the three in the cargo bay.

He advanced on them, a twisted grin on his features. The Lasat had taken the forward position in front of the kids, bo-rifle extended and raised. He was hurt, however. The Fifth Brother could see the blood that matted the Lasat's fur and ran down his face, and the Lasat staggered a little as he readied himself.

"Not done… ** _sleemo_**." came a voice from over the Inquisitor's shoulder. With a scream, the redblade twisted on his feet and swung his blade at the same time. Kanan didn't block the blow because he already had his blade extended. The Inquisitor's momentum brought his chest right into Kanan's blade; the creature impaled himself, and Ezra and Sabine yelled cries of joy as they saw the blue laser emerge below his shoulder blade.

The Inquisitor fell to his knees and Zeb shot with his bo-rifle, which finished the evil creature for good.

The victory was not without cost, however. When the Inquisitor fell, Ezra, Sabine and Zeb saw that Kanan had dropped as well. As they reached him, they saw the long, deep lightsaber slash across his chest, and the other damage he'd taken. His shirt was blood soaked and burned, and his skin was pale and clammy.

"Kanan?" Ezra reached for his hand and squeezed it. There was no response.

"Zeb…is he…is he…gone?" Sabine's eyes were glassy as tears began to fall.

Zeb checked for vital signs. "He's not breathing well, but he's still alive." _But for how long?_ Zeb wondered. He hoped Marellus and Ahsoka were doing better. "Go see if you can find a medkit in there." He nodded toward Ahsoka's ship, then looked back at the two kits. "Hurry!" Having nothing else to stop the bleeding, he pressed his hands against the worst of the wounds.

* * *

Ahsoka looked down at the dying body of the female Mirialan, as she kicked the woman's lightsaber away. The female coughed up a great deal of blood and struggled to breathe.

"You will…die at the hands of my Master, Lord Vader." The Mirialan wheezed as she curled in on herself in pain.

"What will be, will be." Ahsoka said, grimacing as she watched the evil light in the Inquisitor's eyes dim. It was then she glanced up to see the Grand Inquisitor deflecting shots from the _Ghost_ and retreating. It was obvious the tide had turned and the leader was going to regroup, and probably attack them as they left the planet's surface.

She saw that Zeb and the kids were with Kanan and that Marellus was lying on the ground near where she'd seen him make his stand. She ran to him and knelt beside him.

The Inquisitor had been ruthless. The Jedi was missing a hand, and he had been slashed and hacked. There were several bleeding holes in his chest and his breath was rattling harshly in his chest. She took his uninjured hand in her own.

"Master Varro," she murmured. "Hold on."

His eyes met hers, and she was surprised to see only peace there as he shook his head. "Ahs…Ahsoka..." He breathed.

She leaned in to hear his soft words, nodding as he spoke. She replied when he fell back, exhausted. "I will, Master," her voice broke on the last word. In a trembling voice, she recited the Jedi Code, watching his lips mouth the words along with her. "Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force. May the Force be with you." With her last word, his eyes drifted closed, a smile on his features.

Hera came running out to them. "Let's get him on the _Ghost_. I have a medbay."

Ahsoka looked up, her face sad and wet with tears. "There's no need. He is one with the Force, now." She reached down and closed his eyes with the light touch of her hand.

Hera shook her head, fighting back tears.

"Hera!" Zeb was coming toward them, he and Ezra carrying Kanan's limp body between them. "He's hurt badly. We tried to stabilize him. Karabast, Marellus too?"

"Come on." Hera said, wiping her face and regaining some control over her emotions. "Get him to the medbay."

"I'll come back for Marellus." Zeb called over his shoulder.

Sabine stayed with Ahsoka and Marellus while Zeb and Ezra took Kanan on the _Ghost_.

"He's…gone?" Sabine gasped, realizing she didn't see the Jedi's chest rising and falling.

Ahsoka nodded, placing her hand on Sabine's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Kanan…might not make it either." Tears spilled down her cheeks as she looked up and saw Zeb coming back in their direction.

"Marellus is dead," Ahsoka told the Lasat.

There was a long pause. "We can't leave him here. We'll…we'll take care of his body." Zeb murmured, his voice catching in his throat.

"Very well. Let us make sure his sacrifice is not in vain." Zeb bowed his head, and Ahsoka was silent for as long as she dared to give him a chance to get his emotions under control. "Zeb. They will be coming now. We should each go our own way, which will divide their forces."

"Okay, yeah. Sabine, come on." Zeb had brought back a blanket this time to be used as a makeshift stretcher. With Ahsoka's help, they gently moved Marellus onto the blanket. Zeb took one end and Sabine took the other.

Ahsoka placed a hand on Zeb's shoulder. "Tell Hera I will contact her at the usual time. And may the Force be with you all."

* * *

Sabine and Zeb laid Marellus's body on the cargo bay floor. Another blanket covered him, before Zeb's comm went off. "Zeb! We've gotta go. Do you have everyone?" Hera sounded ragged, but strong, and it bolstered Zeb's heart.

Zeb's voice was hoarse. "Yeah. Ahsoka said that she is going to make a hyperspace jump one way and we're to go the other to split their forces."

"Okay. I need you in the turret. Ezra's with Kanan. If Sabine can take the other cannon, we might get out of this yet."

"Got it." Zeb said, climbing the ladder, Sabine following.

* * *

Ezra sat beside Kanan. He held the medscanner in a deathgrip, keeping a close eye on Kanan's vital signs. The Jedi's pulse was thready and his heartbeat was irregular. His breathing sounded so labored. Ezra tried to hold on to a sense of calm and touch the Force, in the middle of all the chaos. When he did, he concentrated on the bond that Marcellus said was there, and he felt Kanan's presence faintly, connected to him by a thin thread of the Force. He concentrated on that thread and tried to make it stronger.

"Kanan please. Please don't die." He whispered softly, squeezing Kanan's cold fingers in his own. The Ghost shuddered as it made its way into the upper atmosphere, then Ezra felt everything smooth out in space. There were more bumps as the Ghost took fire from the Imperials.

_Forget that. Use the Force and concentrate on your bond._

The voice was not so much a voice as a feeling from the Force. The words seemed as if they belonged to Marellus, however. Ezra took a deep breath despite his tears, feeling calm flow through him once more and he focused on the tiny threads of the Force that bound him to Kanan. _You have to breathe…_ he thought to him, willing the Jedi's heart to keep beating. _Just keep breathing._

* * *

"I'm bringing the _Ghost_ around for another shot. Get ready." Hera called over the ship's comms, as she leaned on the thrusters to swing them around to focus on the nearest troop transport.

Zeb took out the transport while Sabine got a shot at a TIE and missed. "Kriff you!" she screamed, firing the lasers in frustration.

"Calm down, kit. You can't do anything if you're angry." Zeb's voice came over the comm. "It's just like a blaster. Now, find a target, take a breath and let it out slow as you squeeze…the…trigger." There was the sound of the guns and a second TIE blew up. The bits pelted the hull with little metallic tinks.

"Coming around. Sabine, get ready!" Hera called.

She missed another TIE, causing them to take hits to the rear shield. She bit her lip so hard it drew blood as the shield's hum flickered. "Can't take much more like that." Hera called over the comms. "Please hit something."

"Breathe…" Sabine talked herself through as she narrowed her eyes at the troop transport that swung into her view. Everyone was counting on her and she couldn't fail again.

The troop transport took two hits from Sabine's guns. When Zeb came into range, he fired the third time, causing a huge fire burst as the ship blew. Sabine whooped in victory, so loud that no one needed a comm to hear her.

"Ahsoka just jumped. Going to hyperspace now on an opposite vector," Hera said.

There was a hum from the engines as they went to hyperspace. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief at the thought they were safe. "Good job, everybody." Hera said. "Zeb. I need you at the helm. I need to go help Ezra with Kanan." Hera turned to Chopper. "Chop, I need you to scan the Ghost and everything on her. Something led those Inquisitors to us, either something on Ahsoka's ship or this one. I want to know what you find."

Chopper warbled his agreement and began scanning.

* * *

Hera's mouth went dry as soon as she entered the medbay, then a second surge of adrenaline kicked in. Kanan was as pale as she'd ever seen him, and the beeping of the medscanner showed how slow his heartbeat was. Ezra's eyes were closed and he was holding onto Kanan's hand.

"Ezra, you okay?" she questioned as she began to pull things from the drawers in the bay.

"Yeah. I can't explain it…I'm trying to hold onto his presence with the Force, but it's fading." Ezra's blue eyes were wide as he looked at Hera. "He's not gonna...die, is he?"

"Not if I can help it." She grabbed a laser cauterizer, bacta and a spray hypo of coagulant and got to work. She'd have to work on whatever was going wrong with his breathing as soon as she got the bleeding stopped. Ezra had given him an oxygen mask, however, so he was as good as he could be for the moment. She silently thanked all those times she'd helped patch up humans…only a few times in the Clone Wars but more during her time on freighters before she'd gotten the _Ghost_. Having a rudimentary understanding of medical techniques and human anatomy could be critical to saving Kanan. There was no way to take him to a medcenter right now, so she was the best chance he had.

She cut his clothes away with Ezra's help, so she could see what she was working with. She wasn't surprised to see that his body was already a starmap of scars, and with the damage that the Inquisitor had done, he was going to be adding to the collection. If he lived, that was.

 _He's going to live. Don't even think about the alternative,_ she told herself sharply, swallowing back the lump in her throat. _Stop the bleeding first, because you don't have any human plasma on the Ghost._

She ignored the blood on her hands as she began to cauterize the wounds, working quickly and efficiently.

Ezra's voice shocked her out of her focus. "Hera…he's…"

There was a long, unending tone that signified that the rhythm of Kanan's heart had stopped.

"Son of a bantha!" Hera grabbed the defibrillator and followed the protocol while Ezra let go of Kanan's hand. After the charge was delivered, there was no change. She looked up to see Ezra's deep blue eyes watching her. "If you can do something with the Force to help, now's probably the time, love…"

She readied herself to deliver another charge as the kid closed his eyes and began to concentrate.

* * *

Kaller. He'd opened his eyes on Kaller. It was always Kaller. The Force-damned planet haunted his dreams and now, here it was again, in death. Kaller. In all its hideousness. The little outcropping of rocks where they'd camped that fateful night was in front of him and he staggered toward it, afraid of what he would find.

But there was nothing; the landscape was empty and cold. There was no fire, no clone troopers chanting "Good soldiers follow orders," and no Master Billaba. Just darkness and the silvering of the landscape by Kaller's moon. The light softened the crags in the rocks and smoothed over the land with a lover's touch. It was a lonely scene that caused a deep ache in his heart.

He reached the spot where he'd sat so long ago. The rocks…the place…it had seemed much larger back then, and over the years, the place had grown into a looming spectre in his memory. He knelt and let his fingertips brush over the dirt on the ground. Now, with all the terror and nightmare stripped from it, he saw it was just a place. A place where a noble Jedi had lost her life and a broken kid had been born.

He sat down, resting his face against his knees. The cold seemed to seep into him, and he welcomed it. An end to pain and an end to the kriffing failure that was his life—he was surprised it had been that easy to let go. He'd gone through worse that this type of ending.

_-Kanan—_

The kid. Another thing that he kriffed up, he thought as his heart cramped with love and longing. He could feel the kid's gentle pull on him, but he knew it was better if he just died.

"Go away." He whispered, trying to ignore Ezra's pulling at him.

_-Padawan-_

He immediately looked up upon hearing the voice. It seemed to wind around him, a voice that floated in the air and whispered in his ear and left him open mouthed with awe. There was a subtle brightness in the air, a translucent iridescence that floated around him, into him and through him. Was it the Force? Was it…

"Master Billaba?"

_-So much needless sadness-_

He shut his eyes at the familiar tone. She sounded slightly amused, but sadly disapproving as well.

"I failed you. I'm so sorry." Shame and sorrow welled within him as he hung his head.

Surprise came from her. _–You have never failed me.—_

"But…I let…I let you die." He choked out.

 _-So, stronger than the Force, are you? Know more than the Force, you do? Hmm?-_ Her voice echoed Master Yoda for a moment, as if making a point. He was reminded that she had done that often with him, as a way to gain his attention when dispensing Jedi wisdom _. –Did you learn nothing from me, my child?—_ She gently chastised him.

He lowered his head in respect, almost able to see her in his mind's eye. "I am sorry."

_–_ _Nothing happens by accident. Everything is the will of the Force. Now I am one with it, my wayward Padawan. And you have too much to do to linger here. Fulfill the destiny the Force has set into motion, and worry not about failing me.—_

"Yes, Master." He bowed his head and thought he felt the ghost of a hand on his hair, before she was gone, and he was adrift in an endless dark sea of stars.

* * *

Ezra closed his eyes and tried to connect with Kanan as Hera tried a second charge from the defibrillator. "Come on…come on!" she growled as she pressed the pads to his chest.

There was a long pause while she held her breath. The silence screamed in the tiny medbay. She began to panic. "Ezra—"

Then, the monitor resumed beeping, and Hera groaned with relief. "Whatever you're doing, Ezra…keep it up. I'm almost done here."

She finished closing the last of Kanan's wounds, listening for the rhythm of his heart. _Thank the Force, it remained steady_ , she thought.

She quickly checked the oxygenation of his blood (he was in the lower range), and did another scan, this time of his chest. He had three broken ribs and it appeared that one had caused damage to his lung. The medscanner recommended being conservative, bandaging the ribs and monitoring his lung. Many times, the damage would repair itself, and the patient would be fine. If the oxygenation remained in the lower range, she'd have to find a doctor they could trust to treat Kanan, or try the invasive procedure herself, which she was hesitant to do.

"Is it okay?" Ezra asked.

"It's as good as it can be. It's up to him now," Hera said softly.

Just then, Chopper came in followed by Zeb and Sabine. He was squawking loudly and waving both manipulators, pointing them at Ezra.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I believe this might be the biggest battle I've written so far, so I hope it came out okay. Don't be too mad for me killing Marellus...He's just like the "wise old elder" that leads our hero along enough to get him started in the right direction. Just like Obi-Wan, Gandalf and all those others that fit that mold, there's a time they have to move on and give our hero the stage.
> 
> Please let me know what you thought. I live for your reviews. I really do.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Sabine held the glow rod near the object of Hera's attention as they both peered down at Ezra's prosthetic.

"I promise you I didn't know there was anything there." Ezra said, glancing at Hera's face nervously. "When the Inquisitor took it, then brought it back, it didn't even cross my mind that he could have put a tracker in it."

Hera looked up from her work and put a hand on the frightened boy's shoulder. She didn't blame him in the least. He'd been unprepared for what the Inquisitor had put him through, and he'd been in bad shape when they'd gotten him back. The ghosts of bruises were still on his face, and she knew that his body was still healing. They had all felt so lucky to get him back that none of them had thought to check for trackers, either. "No, Ezra. This was not your fault in the least." She slipped her arm around him in a quick hug, then turned back to her work. "I don't see anything in here. Chop, you're sure about the prosthetic?"

Chopper rocked back and forth emphatically, making an affirmative noise.

"Ezra. We're going to have to remove this, so I can take it apart. If there's something hidden in it, they did a good job."

Ezra quickly detached the connectors to what was left of his damaged hand. "If you can't find it, just space it." He muttered. "I don't want them to be able to find us a-a-again." He reached up with his good hand and furiously wiped away the tears. Master Varro was dead and Kanan on the verge of death. I'm guilty of that, he thought, as his eyes drifted toward the cargo bay, where he knew the Jedi master's body lay.

Hera laid a hand on his arm. "It's okay, love. We're in hyperspace, so there's nothing they can do until we drop out of it." With a look of grim determination, Hera began the process of taking the prosthetic apart bit by bit. "Zeb's down with Kanan right now, so I might as well give this a try while we have time."

Ezra nodded slowly. Hera didn't miss the way he unconsciously hid his scarred hand against his body. It was clear that he wasn't mentally comfortable without his prosthetic; he felt vulnerable. It made her heart ache for him. "I…I better go back and check on Kanan." Ezra murmured, turning to head back down to the _Ghost's_ tiny medbay. Sabine started to follow, but Hera put a restraining hand on her arm.

"Give him a minute." Hera whispered.

"Kanan…he's going to make it, right?" Sabine asked in a quiet voice.

Hera's focus softened as she heard the stress in the girl's voice. "I hope so. How are you doing?"

She shook her head, tears standing in her eyes. "I…I heard what he said about training Ezra the other night and…I confronted him. I told him nobody wanted him here…I…told him to leave…"

"Oh, Sabine."

"T..that's w-why he said he was l-leaving…I said horrible things to him."

Hera was going to hug Sabine, but wasn't sure how the girl would take it. She settled for putting her tools down and turning to more fully face her; however, when she saw the tears begin to streak down the girl's cheeks, she took Sabine's hands. "Sabine. We all make mistakes. Sometimes we say terrible things. Especially when you care about someone." She looked the way Ezra had gone pointedly, then returned her eyes to Sabine. "Don't be too hard on yourself."

"You should have seen Ezra's face. He was crushed that Kanan didn't want to train him as a Jedi. And now…with Master Varro dead…" Tears threatened and there were two hectic spots of color in her cheeks. "I just wish I could apologize…" She shook her head and was gone, into her room before Hera could say anything to stop her.

She bit her bottom lip, uncertain of what to do. It was obvious that Sabine had made a connection with the Jedi. With her background…feeling betrayed by Kanan had caused the girl to lash out, especially when she had heard part of Kanan's drunken rambling about his insecurities. It was apparent that neither kid had heard the whole conversation.

"Sithspit…" With a sigh, Hera returned her focus to the prosthetic. She tried to loosen the tiny screws and clamps, but she found they were all fastened so tightly that the threads on the tiny screws were stripped. The two main screws were hopelessly locked in place and it was only with prying that she was able to get one of them out. It only slightly loosened the two interlocking pieces of metal that made up the palm of the hand. Pulling on the metal strip budged it a slight amount, barely enough for her to look underneath. When she did, she saw a tiny, red glow. A tracker. "Karking bastard," she muttered. She selected a broken screw extractor, but the screws were so miniscule that the one she had wouldn't work. She also realized that the hand was very old, possibly even secondhand when Ezra had gotten it, and had probably been worked on many, many times.

Eventually, she had to pry up the flat metal with a screwdriver. Underneath was the tiniest little button tracker. As she grimaced and pried it off of the flat metal plate, there was a sparking and a popping noise. The electrical smell let her know the circuits in the hand were now fried. She groaned and threw her screwdriver across the room in frustration. "Arrrgh! Son of a motherkriffing bantha!"

"You found something." Zeb raised an eyebrow as he entered the room and came over.

"Yeah. There it is." She glared at the little round piece of metal. "It gave out some sort of electrical charge that fried the circuits on the prosthetic," she groaned. "Whoever did this knew their electronics…frak!" She looked up in frustration. "Crush it or drop out of hyperspace and deposit it on the nearest planet? They might spend a while looking for it before they figure we discovered their kriffed-up plan."

"Heh. Yeah. We wouldn't even have to stop the ship; just drop into the atmosphere, throw it out and be back in hyperspace in a few moments." Zeb nodded. "Let's do it."

They left the tracker on a swampy planet called Drongar, and then flew out at a rapid pace to enter hyperspace again. "We're going to have to get him a new one." Hera murmured as the blue lines of hyperspace stretched out in front of them. "Or find some parts to rebuild this one."

Zeb scratched his beard thoughtfully. "I have some credits saved up. We can use that."

"Zeb," she whispered softly, knowing it would completely wipe out the big Lasat's savings.

Zeb shrugged. "I don't have a lot to spend my creds on. I go to the bar every once in a while…but that's all. They're just sitting around in my bunk, taking up space."

"I'll put some with it too," she replied. They both stared out at hyperspace a few moments, then he went on.

"Ahsoka said she would contact you at the usual time."

"Good. That will be tonight, then." Hera kneaded her forehead tiredly. "So. What do we do about Marellus?" She looked at Zeb. "Do Jedi bury their dead?"

"Don't know." Zeb said. "You should ask Ahsoka, so we can do…you know, do what's proper for him."

"Okay. Let's hope we don't have to bury two."

Zeb looked sick. "Karking redblades," he spat. His face twisted with pain. Hera laid a hand on his arm as she waited for him to continue. "You shoulda seen him. He was badly hurt, but he kept getting back up to keep the redblade off of us. He wouldn't give up…karabast! If anyone can make it, he can." He looked up at her. "He has to make it."

Hera nodded, not trusting herself to remark and infect Zeb with her pessimism. The Jedi was gravely injured, and it was likely he wouldn't survive. "I should go check on him," she said softly. "I've got my comm if Ahsoka calls."

* * *

Ahsoka arrived on Eulean before Hera. This planet was the site of the Jedi temple Marellus had mentioned to her before he passed, and the place he wanted to be laid to rest. Sensing the vergence the temple had been built over was a simple matter, so she flew towards it and landed her small ship nearby. She searched the grounds and found the entrance blocked by debris. She didn't remove it because it would have felt too much like digging up a grave. Better to let the past lie.

Scouting around, she found a small overgrown meditation garden nearby. There were beautiful, but faded stone tiles along the garden path, coming out into a flat meditation space between ferns, trees and delicate flowers. Slowly, she knelt to meditate on the tiled area.

The Force was strong here. She could feel its vibration in the trees and ground; the very air was luminous with its power. It had been a long time since she'd meditated in such a place, and she wasn't ready for the flood of light and the sudden weight of past memories. Thoughts of friends and family…of Skyguy. It was a familiar grief that never went away. It was almost as if she could sense the Jedi who had died that day, lingering at the edges of her vision…the ghosts of Jedi who had died too soon.

She didn't claim to be a Jedi anymore, but the fallen warriors had been friends and family to her. That she could not and would not deny. She acknowledged the feelings sweeping through her, and allowed the tears to flood through her, and the sorrow to pass.

Finally, she stood and stretched. There was so much to do. Master Varro had to be laid to rest, then it was time to concentrate on the living. As the sun rose, she solemnly set about preparing a funeral pyre for Marellus with a grim determination. She'd made a promise to him that she intended to keep.

Hera and her crew arrived later that day, tired and devastated. Jarrus was in bad shape. Ahsoka sent a request for a doctor to come and meet them on Eulean; some of her other operatives had rescued his Force-sensitive child from being stolen by an Inquisitor, so she knew she could trust him not to turn them in. All med-centers in the area would be on the lookout for anyone with lightsaber burns and would report to the Empire immediately if they saw a patient injured in that way. That made this doctor their best shot for the injured Jedi.

When the time arrived, Zeb helped her carry Marellus's body to the pyre and lay it on the carefully arranged pile of wood and branches. Then they called the rest of the Ghost crew to the site for the simple funeral. Everyone stood in a semi-circle near the pyre as Ahsoka readied herself to speak, closing her eyes and gathering her thoughts.

"It has been a long time since I walked a Jedi path. But…I remember that my master taught me that a Jedi should put the needs of the community above the needs of individuals. A Jedi's first concern was to preserve life and protect others.

"Master Varro did both of these. He placed himself in the midst of danger in order to save lives, and as such, he was a shining example of the Jedi's selflessness and love for fellow beings. He was a brave warrior whose example we should keep in our hearts as we face the shadow of the Empire. Those who shine like Master Varro glow even more brightly against such darkness.

"While we can never forget him, we should live for the living, as another wise Jedi once taught me. It is difficult, but those who have passed on will live through us." She glanced at Ezra with a kind expression in her eyes, as if her next words were just for him. "If Master Varro was here he would tell us not to grieve. He has become one with the Force, and therefore is at peace."

She ignited one of her lightsabers and touched it to the pyre, setting it alight, as they all moved back.

"It's okay." Hera whispered as Ezra buried his tear-stained face against her shoulder; she held him as he cried silently. He seemed especially hard hit by the loss, but Ezra and Kanan had spent the most time with Marellus, so it was understandable. Ezra had most likely begun thinking that Marellus would train him as a Jedi. Hera felt a pain in her heart-he was such a good kid, and he had every reason not to be. He'd been on his own for so long, living on the streets, without anyone to care for him…but he still knew right from wrong and he had a tender heart, as evidenced by his sorrow over Marellus's death. "I'm so sorry, love."

Across from them, Sabine's face was stoic, even as the tears filled her eyes and spilled over. Her jaw hurt and trembled with the tension of holding back her emotions. When she felt the tears track down her cheeks, she swiped angrily at them and continued looking at the pyre, avoiding Zeb's gaze. The big Lasat reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder for a moment, when he noticed. She then took a sidelong step toward him, and his arm slid to enclose her in a hug. She leaned her head against his side, and they stayed that way until the flames died down to coals.

* * *

The following day, Ahsoka's physician arrived on Eulean to examine Kanan. The doctor, a blond-haired human that Ahsoka called Max, was accompanied and assisted by his ten-year old son. Kanan was given several units of plasma and treated for the collapsed lung. That was the injury that had bothered Hera the most, so when she went to check on Kanan, she felt relief at hearing his soft even breathing.

She glanced over him, noticing that new bacta patches had been placed over his burn wounds. His ribs and ankle were bandaged, as well. The doctor had taken her aside and told her that if he made it through the night, he would survive. She grasped his hand, one of the only places that wasn't bruised or cut, and squeezed it. "You need to keep breathing. Just keep breathing, love." She ran her thumb over the back of his hand, as she gazed at his face, covered by an oxygen mask. She turned to pull a chair by the bedside and settled into it for the duration, until they knew which way this would go.

Tears stung her eyes. The terror of the battle yesterday, the worry about their survival, her sorrow over Marellus's death, the funeral, and Kanan halfway between life and death. It was a black wave that threatened to drown her. She closed her eyes and lowered her head, struggling to get things under control again.

After a few moments, she felt a gentle touch on her shoulder and she lifted her head. Ezra was standing beside her. "I'm sorry, Hera. This is all my fault," he whispered. "I should have known they would use me to find you…I shouldn't have come back…"

She shook her head and swept him up in a hug. "No. The Empire's to blame. None of this is your fault, you hear me? It's not your fault." She hugged him tightly, and kissed the side of his head. When their emotions settled, she let him go and pulled up a chair for him. "Keep me company, okay?"

He nodded, sitting down near her. "The doctor left. Ahsoka's upstairs with Zeb and Sabine."

"Good." She nodded glancing over at him, then looking back to Kanan's bruised, sleeping face. "If you can connect with him…just let him know we're here for him."

"I'll do my best." He touched Kanan's shoulder and closed his eyes.

* * *

Kanan awoke to a universe of pain, which hazed his vision and muddled his other senses. The room he was in was dark, and there was the beep, beep of some type of medical device. He'd been seriously injured, he realized. Kardoa? He looked around with more focus, but this medbay was not the medbay of a Republic cruiser or the Jedi temple. No…Kardoa was years past. That had happened to Caleb Dume, a long time ago. And Caleb was dead…had been dead a long time.

He drifted for long moments, then rose again in a panic, a flash of blood-like red jarring him awake. He sat up, and the IV pulled loose from his hand as he felt for his lightsaber. But there was nothing there. Just the ache in his ribs with every breath and the searing, molten heat of burns on his body.

Red blades. Inquisitors. Evil Force users. His stomach clenched at the memory of everyone fighting for their lives. The details were fuzzy, but he could remember the look that had burned in those yellow eyes. Had they all survived? He began to panic at the thought of losing them. Ezra…Sabine…Hera...Zeb… Marellus…Ahsoka…He tried to stand, and his movement yanked at the two sensor pads on his chest. He tore at the leads and staggered out of bed with a strangled noise of panic.

A chaotic beeping began behind him. "Hera? Ezra?" He called. The kid. He had to find the kid. There was so much to make right again. _Fulfill the destiny the Force had set before him_ , that's what he'd been charged with _._ He had to apologize to Ezra, then to Hera and the rest of them.

His foot screamed when he put his weight on it, and it threw him headlong, sprawling in the hallway. He turned his head and saw Sabine's face in the medbay doorway. She was saying something into the ship's comm, but he couldn't hear her. "Ezra…" He reached out with his mind, but in his panic he could feel nothing. The kid was gone. _Dead_ …he turned toward the wall, his face twisted in pain.

Ezra had slid down the ladder and had come at a run when he heard the first cry. He was stunned for a moment; he hadn't expected to find Kanan awake, much less lying in a heap on the floor. The Jedi's eyes were squeezed shut and sorrow poured off of him in pounding waves. "Kanan…" Ezra knelt beside him and tried to get his attention. "You're okay. It's okay."

When the injured Jedi lifted his head and saw Ezra, he latched on, both physically and mentally. Ezra felt the threads of their bond tighten and solidify into something else entirely, as Kanan wrapped his arms around him. "I thought…I thought I lost you."

"We thought the same thing about you." Ezra replied against his shoulder. Kanan was squeezing him tightly, and didn't seem to plan on letting Ezra go any time soon. But then Hera's worried face appeared beside him. "Kanan. You need to get back to bed," she directed him gently. "You were seriously injured. You have to rest."

Kanan nodded, reluctantly letting Ezra go. "Everyone…made it? Zeb? Marellus?" The hope in his face made Hera feel a little sick. She slipped one hand under his shoulder, trying to help him up.

"I'm here." Zeb came around Hera and reached down for Kanan. Then, together, they eased the injured Jedi to his feet. "Back to bed, now." The Lasat said in a voice that would accept no argument.

"Wait…" Kanan asked as Zeb eased him back toward the bed in the sickbay. Zeb didn't say anything, as he set Kanan back on the bed and helped Hera tuck the blanket back around him. Hera glanced at Zeb, then began to ready a new IV set without answering Kanan's question.

"Where is Marellus?" At his pointed question, Kanan could feel the pain coursing along the bond that he had with Ezra, and he could sense it when Zeb's looked away. He understood, dropping his eyes. "The Inquisitor."

Ezra nodded, unable to speak.

"Pain medicine." Hera murmured as she fed his IV line with contents from a syringe. "It should help."

Kanan fought the sudden drowsiness that hit him like a speeder. His sleepy blue-green eyes searched her own.

"What…happened?"

"Later." Hera whispered, smoothing back his hair. "Later, love. Now you need to rest. We're here, and you're safe."

He nodded, drifting back into sleep again.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said before, make sure you're reading both chapters. I have two more chapters and then we're caught up to where I am currently writing. Thanks for all the reviews!!!

Chapter 18

The weather on Denala had been perfect for the last week. The planet was a lot like Lothal; grasslands and rock formations, with a few sparse trees growing near water sources. They'd parked the Ghost by a small stream and had hunkered down to give them all a chance to recover from the whirlwind of the last few days.

Kanan had mostly slept the time away, waking to see Hera, Ezra or Zeb by his side. They hadn't left him alone since the fight with the Inquisitor. It was early morning when he awoke to find that Zeb was asleep by his bedside. They'd removed the IV the night before, but he'd been too tired to try and move back upstairs. When he woke, it was early morning, about 0400 hours. He tossed and turned, but the pain from his wounds wouldn't let him fall back asleep. The burns were the worst, along with the spot he'd been skewered by the lightsaber.

But if they gave him more pain medication, he'd only fall asleep again, and he didn't want that. He slowly slipped from the bed, testing his ankle. It was better, and with a slow, dragging walk, he made it across the room. He left Zeb sleeping in the chair. The Lasat probably needed his rest. Kanan felt undeserving of all their attention and felt guilty about being a burden. He wanted to be up and around as soon as possible, and assuage any worries they might have. He wasn't worth all that.

Kanan did his best to climb the ladder. He made it with a few groans of pain, using his arm muscles and stabilized with the Force to help make up for his bad ankle. When he made it to the top level, he hauled himself off the ladder with a sigh. As he made his way into the kitchen, he realized how thankful he was to see some new scenery. If he had to look at the medbay's metal walls anymore, he thought he would scream.

At the table, slumped over a cup of caf, was Sabine. Her silvered lavender hair fell forward over her eyes, and it was obvious she'd fallen asleep.

His foot made a sibilant sound on the deck and she looked up, half awake. When she saw it was him, her brown eyes went wide and she went to stand up. "Kanan! You-"

"Shhhh." He cut off her surprised cry with his whisper. "Don't. I don't want Hera to send me back." He slipped into the booth. "I was supposed to stay down there until the end of the week."

Sabine nodded, looking uncomfortable. "I get it. How are you feeling?"

"Like I got swallowed by a saarlac then spit back out." He tried to laugh, but it turned into a wince and a cough.

"Can I get you anything? Like some water, or caf or something?"

He nodded. "Caf? I would really owe you one."

She went into the kitchen, and came back with a cup for him. "I think…uh…I think I owe you one." She said softly, sliding back into her seat and studying her hands.

He raised an eyebrow in confusion, but said nothing at first. The way she was sitting reminded him of himself, when he would get in trouble for some childhood indiscretion at the Jedi temple. When he realized she was struggling, he prodded her gently. "What's on your mind?"

She shifted uncomfortably several times. "Kanan…I…what I said to you before…" She tried to meet his teal-colored eyes but couldn't do it. "I was so wrong…I'm sorry. I owe you my life. And Ezra…you saved us all." Her voice caught on the last sentence and she wiped her cheeks quickly and embarrassedly.

"Sabine." She didn't look up, so he reached out and took her hand in his. She startled, but he didn't let go. "Sabine. What you said…you said because it was true. I wasa 'jet-juicer destined for an early grave.'"

"No…" she shook her head, tears streaking her face. "I'm so ashamed. I shouldn't have…you were SO brave, Kanan."

"Sabine, stop, please. You said something I needed to hear. Sometimes I just need a swift kick in the ass." Here, Sabine giggled, despite her anxiety, and Kanan smiled at her. "I'm the one who's sorry. I'm so sorry you heard what I said to Hera that night. It was my own…insecurities that made me hesitate to stay here…and train Ezra. It had nothing to do with…him, or you or Hera."

She nodded, uncertain. Her eyes finally met his and she saw only concern there.

"Up until I met all of you, all I did was run. After losing my Master…I was kriffed up for a long time. I ran from everything. From my past, from being a Jedi, from being close to…anyone. I was afraid of losing anyone else."

"So what's different now?" Her voice trembled on the edge.

He could sense her desire to trust him because she needed to believe in someone. He was surprised to find that he wanted to be that person. He desperately wanted to be that person. "I'm done running," he murmured. "I know what I'm here for. I'm going to make this right, Sabine. I promise."

"Okay. We'll see." Sabine said softly. When he looked up at her, he saw the slight smile on her lips, unfolding like a flower. It made him smile again in return.

"It's a deal."

Hera had heard the end of their conversation. She'd woken to the sound of their soft voices, and made her way out into the hallway to see Sabine and Kanan talking. She'd hesitated on interrupting them, knowing how badly Sabine needed to apologize to him. But she knew that Kanan needed to rest. She walked slowly into the room, giving them plenty of time to realize she was coming.

Kanan took a sip of his caf, trying to act as if he wasn't in pain, but Hera knew better. She frowned disapprovingly. "So. You thought you'd just escape the medbay, huh?" She raised an eyebrow.

"It was Zeb. The snoring. There's no way a person can recuperate in that environment. And some art. You need some art in there. If I had to look at that bare wall or Zeb's ugly face anymore…I would have gone insane."

"Uh-huh." She said suspiciously, more playing to Sabine who was watching with wide eyes. "Okay, how about we get you to your room, I check your vitals and we get you some medicine."

"You can check my vitals anytime, beautiful."

"Uh-huh. Keep talking like that and no breakfast for you." But she was smiling, so Kanan smiled in return as Hera slipped an arm under his shoulder and helped him up. Sabine helped her carry him into his quarters and helped him into bed.

"Keep him here while I get the medkit." Hera pointed threateningly at Kanan, who was smirking at her.

Then he sobered. "Sabine. I won't let you or Ezra down again. I promise." It was a promise he meant to keep.

She nodded, moving back toward the door. "You're still on your own." She teased.

"You're not going to save me from Captain Hypospray, huh?  I'm on my own?"

"I heard that." Hera called as she came into the room.

"I think I'd better leave while I still can." Sabine murmured, giving Kanan a salute. "Good luck, Cadet."

The door swished closed behind her. "You're good with her." Hera said softly as she watched Sabine go.

"Guess I just spent a lot of time as a moody, petulant teenager." Kanan replied thoughtfully.

"Oh yeah? How long did your teenage years last on the run?" Hera asked, giving him the feared hypo.

"Oh, until I was about twenty-six or so," he grinned, then felt himself falling back into a haze from the painkillers. "Hey, don't you be takin' advantage of me while I'm all doped up…"

"I'll try to restrain myself, handsome." Hera smirked.

* * *

When Ezra woke up from a nightmare, his head throbbed. He'd been dreaming something horrible, something that he couldn't remember. It had been something about Kanan and…and a Loth-wolf? He wiped at his face and looked around, but he was alone. He awkwardly descended the ladder down to the medbay, intending on peering in at Kanan to make sure he was okay. Just to soothe his worried mind. His eyes widened at the door when he saw the bed was empty and Zeb was snoring in the chair.

He sped up the ladder, feeling sick. When he wiped at his face, his hand came away wet again. Kanan was just…gone. He could feel the anxiety like a palpable chill running up his spine.

He hesitated in the hallway, not knowing whether to find Sabine or Hera or…to go outside and search.

"Ezra?"

He turned, and saw Kanan standing in the doorway of his quarters, silhouetted by the silvery light of the sleep cycle. He could hardly believe his eyes, but it was Kanan, bandages and all.

"You…You didn't leave."

Kanan was holding onto the doorway for support, but he let go and stepped into the hallway. "No, Ezra. I didn't."

Ezra walked forward, and Kanan held his arms open for the kid. "I'm sorry, Ezra." The kid flew into his embrace. "I'm so sorry, kid."

Ezra sniffled against his chest and clutched him more tightly, twisting his undamaged hand into Kanan's sleep shirt. Kanan felt his heart break at the kid's tears. _I made him cry like this,_ he thought. _Making this right is my job._ The Force seemed to vibrate…to sing with happiness. "Ezra." He tried to step back, but the kid wouldn't let him go. "Listen to me, please. I'm not leaving. I promise you…" The boy's teary eyes almost glowed in the dim light, they were so blue, Kanan thought as Ezra finally leaned back. "I wasted a lot of time…running from who I really was. I…I was scared, but I'm done with that, now."

Ezra swiped his hand across his eyes. "I…don't want you to g-go."

Kanan pulled Ezra back to him, a gentle hand on the back of his head. "I have been about the furthest thing from a Jedi, in my past, but that changes today. I will teach you everything I know, the best that I know how."

Ezra nodded, but still didn't lift his head from Kanan's shirt. Kanan smoothed the boy's hair as he waited, but his strength was beginning to fade.

Ezra heard Kanan's words, and his mind was beginning to digest what Kanan meant. Kanan was going to train him…WANTED to train him. Ever since Marellus wanted him to stay close to Kanan, he'd felt worry like a heavy weight around his neck. Now that weight began to lift. As it did, the bond he felt with Kanan became more palpable, and he realized that the Jedi was tired. So tired in fact that he was about to collapse.

"Kanan!" He called as Kanan staggered back against the wall.

"I'm good." Kanan murmured. "But…maybe…maybe we could sit down a minute?"

"I think you need to **lay** down." Ezra said, tucking an arm under Kanan's shoulder and allowing him to lean on him. Together they made their way back to the bedroom and Ezra eased the Jedi back on the bed.

"Nah. I'm gonna be fine." Kanan said, but he looked too pale.

"I'm gonna get Hera…"

Kanan grabbed Ezra's arm. "Don't. Just sit. Sit here, with me for a while."

Ezra thought a moment, before nodding. "Okay. But you have to rest."

Kanan nodded. "It's a deal." However, he didn't close his eyes, he just remained looking at Ezra. After a few moments, Ezra shifted uneasily.

"What is it?" Ezra asked softly.

"Your prosthetic…" Kanan's eyes were getting heavy with sleep, but he glanced down to Ezra's hand. "What happened?"

"A…tracker. There was a tracker in it. Hera tried to take it out, but…it damaged the tech inside. It's no big deal." He shrugged, eyes shifting around the room and landing on his scuffed boots. Losing part of a hand was nothing compared with losing your life like Marellus did.

"It's not your fault. About Marellus. You couldn't have known about the tracker." Kanan said sleepily.

Ezra's eyes darted up to Kanan. "How did you…"

"Our bond." Kanan murmured. This time his eyes stayed closed and he breathed deeply, about to be carried away on the tide of sleep. Ezra could sense Kanan's mind starting to drift. He stirred and then buried his face into the pillow for a moment before sighing deeply. "Things gonna be okay. Not running anymore... I'm…I'm finally home."

 


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone. These are the last two chapters. I'm working on Chapter 21 now, and taking it in an unexpected collection. so hopefully you'll get a surprise if it works out right. 
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading!!

Chapter 19

The little old woman with the white hair turned and gathered up the equipment she needed before she turned back to the hospital bed. The dark-haired teenager sat on the other side of the bed, his bare arm laid out on the sheet.

When she turned, she narrowed her eyes at the view of the damaged hand, mentally trying to solve the problem she was faced with. "I can help with this," she asked, examining Ezra's hand with a gentle touch. "How old were you when you were first injured?" she asked as she began to take measurements.

Ezra glanced at Kanan and swallowed hard. Kanan nodded, as if giving him permission. "I was nine. It…it was an accident."

The doctor nodded. "Please move your hand as you would when making a fist with your old prosthetic."

She watched attentively, assessing his flexibility in the damaged limb before continuing to measure both his damaged hand and his other one.

"How…how long have you known our 'mutual friend?'" Ezra asked, phrasing it the way he'd heard Hera do it.

"Ohhh...a while now. Your friend was quite young when we met. Lovely, brave woman." They watched the white-haired doctor use her nimble hands to determine how she would construct the prosthetic that would replace Ezra's lost fingers and palm. She made notes on her datapad. As she worked, her inquisitive green eyes looked them over. "Does your path lead you to help others as she does?"

"Yes," Hera said.

"Good, That's good." The doctor nodded, making her last annotations. "I will construct the piece tonight and you may pick it up tomorrow around lunchtime. Is that acceptable?"

Kanan, Hera and Ezra all nodded. It had taken Ahsoka about a month to set up such a meeting, and they felt lucky to have a chance to get Ezra a prosthetic that would work as well or better than the old one. "We'll return then. And thank you." Hera said, placing a hand on Ezra's shoulder. The boy pulled on his jacket and they headed outside the tiny clinic into the cold air of Montchala. The doctor had several specialties and an old meddroid that had rolled off the assembly line long before Kanan or Hera had been born. The clinic was in the poorer section of town, near the shipping district and its spaceport. The _Ghost_ was docked across the city at the other spaceport, mostly used for commercial traffic.

Out on the street, Ezra shivered and Kanan pulled the kid's hood over his head. "It gets cold on Lothal, but not this cold." Ezra murmured.

The sky was a slate gray above them, and small fluffy snowflakes whirled through the air like feather fluff.

"Yeah." Kanan looked around at the snowy streets of the city. It had been snowing on and off all day. "Sabine seemed happy with it though." The Mandalorian had looked up at the snow earlier with a huge smile on her face.

Ezra nodded. "She said where she grew up, on Krownest, it's like this all the time."

Hera and Kanan shared a look. Sabine never mentioned her family. It was just another clue to the girl's past and they both filed it away in their memory.

A cold wind made them shiver. "Let's get on back to the _Ghost_. I could really use a cup of caf." Hera said.

They walked in silence for a moment. Kanan had sensed his Padawan's uneasiness all day before the doctor's appointment, and it had only increased through the afternoon. As soon as they entered the spaceport where it was a bit warmer and they began walking the busy hallways, he stopped Ezra. "Hey," he said, brushing the kid's shoulder. "What is it?"

Ezra's eyes were dark and wary. "Nothin'…" Kanan could practically feel the pulse of the kid's thoughts: _lying's not going to work because he can tell…_

"Yeah, I **can** tell," Kanan said with a raised eyebrow, "so spill it."

Hera came over and put a hand on Ezra's other shoulder. "Go ahead."

"Uh…okay." Ezra stopped and lowered his head. "The prosthetic…it's going to cost a lot…and I don't want to be any trouble."

"Honey," Hera began.

"I…It's too much. I can wait…save up some money and…"

Hera shook her head. "Ezra. No, love. It's not too much. We want to do this for you."

"B..but I'm just a Loth-rat. People don't just d-do things like this…for people like me…"

"We do." Hera said. "That's what being a part of a family is." She let him go and found his eyes.

"I…I don't understand." Ezra shook his head wonderingly.

Hera thought back to all Ezra had probably been through and she understood how he might be bewildered at her words. "I know you don't, sweetheart, but you will."

Ezra reached out and wrapped his arms around Hera fiercely. "Thank you."

"Of course." She murmured into his hair, returning the hug. Over Ezra's head she met Kanan's blue-green eyes. The Jedi nodded once, a silent communication that Hera had done the right thing. He could sense the teen's emotions settling down—the anxiety melting away. Being around Hera seemed to do the same for both of them.

Once in the past couple of weeks, she'd found Kanan standing in the cockpit, looking out at the blue lines of hyperspace after a particularly bad nightmare. He'd been fighting the Inquisitor again in his dream, only this time he was too late to save Ezra and Sabine. Hera had startled him out of the mental replay of the dream, by touching him on the shoulder. Then, she'd wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. He'd clung to her like she was the only thing keeping him afloat as the bad dream melted around them. So yeah, he could see firsthand how Hera was quickly becoming the rock that steadied the both of them.

Together, with Ezra between them, they walked back to the bay where the Ghost was. Ezra saw Zeb working on a hull repair, and he ran to the ladder and climbed up to help the Lasat.

"He'll believe it, eventually," Kanan said.

"Like you, huh?" She raised an eyebrow as she climbed the _Ghost's_ ramp. He followed just like she had known he would.

His hand on her waist turned her around. "What's that mean?" he asked, pulling her close in the cold air. He figured she was trying to flirt with him. Over the past month, they'd been flitting around the edges of something they both felt happening between them. He wasn't at all sure where it was leading…Hera was so different than all his other experiences, and he didn't want to kriff it up. Consequently, flirting was all he'd aspired to up to this point.

"Just…that you seem to find it hard to believe that someone would care about you either." As Hera watched him look away, suddenly self-conscious, she raised up on her toes and kissed him.

He kissed her back, softly. "I'm trying to be worthy of that, Hera."

"I know," she said with a small, secret smile just for him. Then she was gone, climbing the ladder to the upper deck.

He watched her go, a thoughtful expression on his face.

* * *

The next afternoon, Ezra and Sabine made their way through the crowded indoor marketplace. After they'd gone back to Fulcrum's contact and Ezra had been fitted with his new prosthetic, the two had asked Hera if they could go shopping. They'd run a few legitimate shipping jobs in the past month, and Hera had given them each a percentage of the profits as full members of the crew. Sabine wanted to purchase some art supplies, and Ezra wanted to find a new set of gloves to replace his old ones, which had been too small for a while. Hera made them promise to be back by dinner, which they readily agreed to.

They were just leaving a stall where Sabine had bought some art supplies, which Ezra had shoved into his backpack, when she came to a dead stop in the doorway.

Two bucketheads marched by on patrol with a Stormtrooper officer, a blond dressed in a black Imperial uniform. As soon as Sabine saw them, she froze in place, but they passed on by without halting.

"Sabine?" Ezra could feel the change in her; it was a formless, suffocating panic, as if a million buzzing zingbees were struggling inside to get out. It reminded him of the night he'd met her…the night she'd been attacked. He couldn't help it, but his protective instincts were coming out again. "Sabine, you okay?

She stood there like a statue, her head turned watching them with a hard look. Ezra watched her chest rising and falling as she struggled to get herself under control. Then she turned to follow the trio.

"Where are you—no, wait!" Ezra ran to catch Sabine by the shoulder.

"No. Let me go!" She growled low, yanking her arm away from Ezra. He refused to let her follow them and blocked her way. Her dark eyes flitted over his face like a bird in a cage. "I'm following them. Give me your comm." She waited, hand out as her eyes flicked to follow the white armored troopers.

"Sabine, I…"

She narrowed her eyes and he handed over the comms unit. "You can stay here or go back to the ship." Her teeth were clenched as she spoke. "I don't care either way, only this is my fight. No one else." Without another word she began to follow the trio again. Ezra could barely see them through the crowd as they stepped out onto the snowy street.

He realized that he needed Hera and Kanan's help—Sabine had taken his comm because she'd known he would call them. He could either go back to the ship and lose track of her in the crowd or follow her. He chose the latter and with a knot in his stomach, he kept close to her.

* * *

"Where did you say Ezra and Sabine went?" Kanan stuck his head through the open door into Hera's quarters.

"Shopping. Why?" Hera's eyes were on a datapad, going over the _Ghost's_ fuel consumption for the last month. She looked up and saw the concerned look on Kanan's face.

"I just…have a bad feeling."

Confusion came over her face and she came over. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." He rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. "Maybe nothing. I just…I was meditating and all of a sudden, I felt something from Ezra over…over our bond."

Hera hit her comm. "Sabine, Ezra. Report."

Kanan watched her face, wondering why he hadn't thought of that himself. After getting back from Ezra's appointment, he'd removed his comm along with his blaster and left them in his quarters. At the first stirrings of unease, he told himself he was imagining things—but then he'd felt an undeniable phantom of anxiety settle over him like the drape of shadowy wings.

Hera tried again. "Sabine…Ezra?" There was silence. "Kriff." She stalked into the cockpit. "Chopper. Locate Ezra and Sabine's comms."

There was a moment while the little droid tried to track the teens. Then he rotated his dome back and forth to indicate no luck.

"I'll go." Kanan turned to head toward his quarters to gear up. Whatever trouble the teenagers had found themselves in, he would get them out of it.

While strapping on his blaster and lightsaber, Kanan came out into the hallway and knocked on Zeb's door. "Hey Zeb. Sabine and Ezra might be in trouble--mind being backup?"

"On my way," Zeb replied, grabbing his bo-rifle.

"I'm going too." Hera said from behind him, but Kanan shook his head and turned to her.

"I need you to stay here in case we need a pickup." Kanan put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. Then he frowned as he felt another sensation of worry along his bond with Ezra. His Padawan needed him. "If I call, I'm going to need you, guns blazing."

She nodded. "Got that covered. Be careful." She leaned up to kiss him hard when Zeb came out. The Lasat had his bo-rifle over his shoulder and was ready to go.

Zeb scratched his head and turned away a little self-consciously, then turned back when Kanan put a hand on his shoulder too. "Hey, they're somewhere in the city, but their comms aren't working…"

"How are you going to find them, then?" Zeb asked, stepping out in the hallway.

"The only way I can. The Force." With a final squeeze of Hera's hand, Kanan turned to go. "I'll call if we need you."

"You'd better, Kanan Jarrus." Hera crossed her arms over her chest and watched them go.

* * *

"Sabine." Ezra murmured as the crowd started to thin a little. "Wait up."

The Mandalorian's eyes narrowed as she realized she needed to slow up if she didn't want to be spotted. "Fine." Her pace slowed as she kept an eagle's eye on the three figures up in front of them.

"There's three of them. That might be more than we can handle." Ezra suggested.

"No," she cut him off, turning toward him. "I'm not losing my chance."

"Chance for what?"

"Revenge, Ezra." Her jaw was set and he could see the tension in her face.

"So…what's your plan?"

"Find out where they're headed and wait outside to get a clear shot."

"And if they're luring us into some sort of trap?" Ezra said as they started off again.

She said nothing, which meant that she was chewing on Ezra's words.

They kept walking, but once they got out of the retail district, they made their way past the local government buildings and to the shipping district. The whole time, the troopers hadn't looked over their shoulder once. They followed the officer into the spaceport, and Sabine took the alleyway beside the complex.

"The Imperial HQ is back towards the middle of town. Whatever they're going to do in there, they have to come back this way." Sabine said.

Ezra looked around, but there was no way to get to the top of the spaceport or the roof of the nearby building from the alleyway. "Sabine. This is not good. We could…"

"Be flanked in this alleyway?" The Imperial Officer's voice came from behind them. "Perceptive, boy."

They turned quickly, seeing the troopers, who had apparently found an exit from the spaceport and come around behind them. "Drop the blasters and kick them this way."

"Sabine." Ezra murmured as he looked around them. They were surrounded. Two troopers were behind them, blocking the way out.

"Karking son-of-a-bantha!" Sabine growled in fury, her hand hovering at her blaster.

"That dirty mouth of yours." The officer shook his head, clucking his tongue. "You need another lesson about your place, recruit." He smirked, drawing on them. "The guns now, or your boyfriend gets it." He leveled his blaster at Ezra's head.

Sabine slowly drew her guns one at a time and placed them on the duracrete in front of them. Ezra took his blaster and did the same.

"Kick them over," he ordered. Ezra gave his blaster a weak kick.

"Sorry," he said, his eyes defiant. Looking at the blond-haired Imperial and thinking how he had hurt Sabine made him feel sick and angry all at once. Something great and dark seemed to shift inside of him as he felt his anger boiling within him. _She had been helpless, but you don't have to be_ …the voice in his mind—from that dark place—said.

"C'mon. Don't be angry. All I did was break in your girlfriend for you. Honestly, you should thank me." The Imperial nodded to one of the stormtroopers behind them, who grabbed Ezra by the arm and put a blaster to his head.

"Kick them over, Wren."

Sabine kicked the blasters with a growl.

"I'm curious-how did you track me to this planet?" The officer asked.

"Just let him go," she said, her head down. "I'm the one you want."

The officer approached her and inclined his head, trying to see her eyes. He grasped her chin roughly and lifted it, making her look at him. "Oh, I'm not letting either one of you go."

Ezra struggled with the trooper holding him, but the larger man wrestled him into a chokehold and jammed his blaster under the teen's chin.

"This traitor has been involved in the murders of four Imperial Stormtroopers, and she will pay the price. There's an Inquisitor that has a few questions for her, too."

"NO!" At the mention of the Inquisitor, Ezra felt a sudden rush of ice in his veins. There was no way he could allow Sabine to be hurt by the Inquisitor...OR this Imperial. He focused on the officer and he flew back through the air, sticking with a thump against the wall. Ezra was startled a moment, then he turned his head and the trooper behind him let go, gasping for air and scratching at his throat viciously, leaving bleeding red gashes in his skin and falling to his knees.

"Jedi!" The Imperial rasped, taking shaky aim with the gun in his hand. "Shoot him!"

Later, Ezra would be hard pressed to say which event happened first, or if they all occurred at the same time. The officer shot at Ezra and he tried to dodge, but his bolt found its mark. Ezra's hand went to his shoulder, but it seemed to be just a glancing shot. With a growl, he turned his newfound power on the Imperial officer again. The man's gun flew from his numb fingers as the hideous rasping of his breath increased.

On the rooftop above, Kanan and Zeb had made a plan for Zeb to take out the two at the head of the alley. Kanan himself planned to take the troopers on the other side of the kids. By the time they leaped down, however, the situation had changed. The man who had Ezra in a headlock was now lying on the ground, groaning and clutching at his throat inexplicably. Zeb landed between him and the other trooper, who was frozen looking at the man on the ground unsure of what to do. Snarling, Zeb leaped for him, all teeth and claws, and the trooper shot him in the side. Still, Zeb hit home, throwing the solider into the nearest wall. The trooper had lost his bucket, and Zeb punched him hard enough to knock him out. Then he punched him twice more just to be sure before he got to his feet.

Kanan had leaped down, lightsaber in hand, when there was an earthquake in the Force. The dark side, always lurking around in the corners of big cities like a noxious fog, had suddenly risen up like a humongous wave, swallowing Ezra and Sabine. Was there an Inquisitor he hadn't seen, or some other type of threat yet unknown?

At seeing Kanan's lightsaber, the soldier he landed in front of dropped his weapon and held up both hands. With every bit of effort he could muster for the mind trick, he told the trooper, "You saw nothing here. Leave now."

Sabine watched in disbelief as the soldier turned and re-entered the spaceport.

Kanan turned toward Ezra and the Imperial Officer he was holding against the wall with the dark side of the Force. Looking into Ezra's Force signature was like looking into the starless void of a black hole. Ezra meant to kill the man he'd targeted; one of his hands was locked in a fist, which Kanan was sure the officer was feeling around his throat. The man's lips had started to turn blue.

"Ezra…" Both in the Force and out loud, Kanan spoke his Padawan's name softly as he stepped forward.

"This is the one. The one that…hurt Sabine." Ezra said in a low voice. He turned and looked at Kanan with eyes that were almost black, except for a circle of yellow iris. Like the Inquisitors' eyes, except for the fact that Ezra's face was wet with tears for Sabine. There was still help for him, Kanan knew. He could feel Ezra trembling on the knife-edge between Dark and Light.

"I know," Kanan said gently. Ezra's fist relaxed for a moment, and the Imperial gasped for breath until Ezra clenched his fist and took it away again. "But Ezra, this is not the way." He reached out, almost afraid to touch his Padawan. "It's not the way of the light side."

"He deserves to die. He was going to give her over to the Inquisitor. Why shouldn't I kill him?"

"The Jedi Code forbids killing an unarmed opponent. Revenge is not the Jedi way, Ezra. It is a dangerous path to follow—it leads to the Dark. You must leave him to the Force." As much as Kanan wanted to end the guy with his own bare hands, he knew it would bring him closer to the dark side.

"Ezra…" Sabine called his name, uncertain of what she meant to say, but knowing that she wanted him safe. "Please, Ezra."

Ezra lowered his head, and let the Imperial go. The man collapsed to the ground as Ezra turned and was enveloped in Sabine's embrace.

Zeb caught Kanan's relieved expression. "You okay?" Kanan gestured to Zeb's side.

"It'll be fine. Want me to call for a pickup?" Zeb asked, hand over his wrist comm.

"Yeah." Kanan could feel the floodwaters of the dark side begin to retreat. He reached over and placed a hand on Ezra's head, smoothing his hair while the kid was still locked in Sabine's embrace. "Ezra, you're hurt," he said.

"Just m' shoulder." Ezra said, his voice muffled against Sabine's shoulder.

Kanan had just begun looking it over when the Light whispered a warning.

The Force moved his body as he gave himself up to it and called his lightsaber back to his hand. He spun, deflecting the blaster bolt that had been headed for them. The holdout blaster the Imperial had been holding went skittering over the asphalt as he fell back, dead.

"Karking hells, I'm glad you're on our side." Zeb swore.

"Me too." Kanan replied, disengaging his blade.

"Kanan. What's wrong with Ezra? He's shaking." Sabine looked up from where she held him. He was trembling with cold, his teeth chattering so hard he couldn't talk. Even his skin felt icy as she put her hand against his cheek.

"It's the dark side." Kanan removed his coat and wrapped it around Ezra's shoulders. "You're going to be okay." He said to Ezra, who nodded, fixing his now-blue eyes back on his master. "It'll go away."

Zeb was talking to Hera. "…Everyone's okay, but I'm pretty sure it's going to get hot here in just a minute."

"I read you. On my way, Zeb."

 


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I posted two chapters, like usual, so if you haven't read Chapter 19, go back and check it out first!
> 
> Chapter 21 is in the works, but coming along slowly...

**Chapter 20**

It was almost half an hour later, after they had made the first of a few hyperspace jumps meant to fool any pursuit, that Hera came in to Kanan's bunk to find a sleeping Ezra wrapped in two blankets. He was sitting up in bed, leaning against Kanan, who was sitting with his back against the bulkhead. The Jedi had his arm around Ezra. Sabine was on his right, also snugged up against Kanan's side.

"Well, you three look comfortable," she whispered.

"Take a look at his shoulder." Kanan murmured. "How's Zeb?"

Hera put her medkit down on the bed and peeled the blanket back to see the wound in Ezra's shoulder. "He's fine. It was a through and through." She got a pair of scissors and cut away the parts of Ezra's shirt that were in the way. Then she gave him a painkiller and began cleaning the wound. "Kanan. He's shivering…"

"He had a brush with the dark side." Kanan looked down as Ezra began to wake.

"Wha-what's going on?" Ezra murmured, lifting his heavy eyelids.

"Hey, kid. It's okay. Hera's going to patch you up."

He nodded and sat up more, shivering. "C-c-cold."

"I know." Kanan put a hand on Ezra's good shoulder to steady him while Hera worked. "Ezra, I'm going to help you. Close your eyes and concentrate on our bond."

Kanan did the same and slowly, Ezra's shivering decreased as Kanan began to pull Light toward them, wrapping his Padawan in the warmth of the Force. "Better?"

Ezra nodded. "Mmm-hmm." Slowly, his trembling lessened. Sabine was watching them with large, dark eyes.

"Cling to the Light. Push the darkness away from you."

By the time Ezra's trembling had abated completely, Hera was done and she and Sabine were watching the interplay between Kanan and Ezra. Not being Force sensitive, they couldn't see the sticky darkness trying to cling to Ezra, but they could see the effect that Kanan was having as the boy relaxed and his blue eyes slipped closed once more.

"He'll sleep now." Kanan said, moving from the bed to settle Ezra back against the pillows, his thin form shrouded by the blanket.

"Can I stay with him?" Sabine asked, standing by the bed.

"Of course. But when you're ready, we should talk." Hera told her.

She swallowed hard, then nodded. As Hera and Kanan left, the Jedi reached down and smoothed her hair with his hand, then pulled her into a one-armed hug. "He'll be okay," he murmured into the top of her head before he let her go and followed Hera outside.

* * *

"Are you hurt?" Hera asked as they entered the galley. She knew Kanan well enough by now to know that he would most likely make sure everyone else was patched up before he thought of himself. He felt her hand brush against his chest as he turned toward her.

"No, I'm fine." Kanan said, capturing her hand in his. "Ezra's powers…they're growing faster than I thought." They had been doing some simple meditation, some training with using the Force to move or levitate small objects, but he'd been holding back, uncertain of his ability as a teacher. "I have to do a better job with him."

"Sit down, Kanan." She could see the worry on his features as she pulled him toward a seat.

Kanan shook his head and began to pace instead. "Look at what happened. If I don't train him well, he'll fall to the dark." It was clear now how much the kid needed him. He gestured frustratedly. "Ezra was about to kill an unarmed trooper to protect Sabine and that's against…everything I was taught."

"He loves her." Hera murmured.

"Hera, the Jedi forbade attachments…maybe for this very reason," he murmured. "The desire to protect the ones you love…at any cost is a dangerous motivation for any Jedi."

"But you can't just tell your heart not to love." Hera countered softly.

Kanan came over and settled into the booth across from Hera. "I know that," his voice had a soft tone as he took her hand. "I know that first hand, now."

She lifted her liquid green eyes to Kanan's. "Me too. But…what does this mean for them…and for us? I would never want to put you in danger. I'm sure Sabine would feel the same way about Ezra."

Kanan looked at Hera for a long moment, different things running through his mind. First and foremost, he realized that he didn't deserve her, but he was glad she had his back. Before meeting her, his loneliness had been like the gravity well of a black hole. Together they were like two sides of the same credit chip, and for the first time since the war, he didn't feel alone. He couldn't help thinking, not for the first time, that she reminded him of his Jedi master. She had every bit of the depth of purpose and determination to do good that had made Master Billaba such a hero to him.

He searched his feelings and the Force for guidance about his attachment for her and felt neither approval nor disapproval. There was a feeling that it was up to him and what he would make of it. "I'm…I'm not sure what it all means yet," he confessed. "But this…what I feel for you…it's hard to believe it could ever have the taint of the dark side." His blue-green eyes were dark in the dimmed lighting of the ship as he regarded her.

They were interrupted as Sabine exited Ezra's room and came into the common area.

"Want some caf?" Hera asked gently as she got up.

Sabine nodded. "Only if you're making some." She slid into a chair, not wanting to be hemmed in when Hera returned. She felt panicky and claustrophobic.

"You okay?" Kanan murmured.

She nodded, chewing her bottom lip. "Is Ezra gonna be okay?"

Kanan struggled on how much to tell her. She'd been through a lot, and he didn't want to burden her, but he didn't want to lie to her either. "You know he loves you, don't you?" Kanan asked.

"Yeah," she whispered. "We talked about it."

"His love made him reach for anything he could to save you. Usually that would be a good thing, but he latched onto the dark side of the Force because of his fear of losing you."

"The dark side? Like those things…those Inquisitors?" She asked, her voice rising and her eyes wide.

Kanan nodded.

"Oh no…it's my fault," she breathed. "He didn't want me to follow the troopers, but I…I was so angry. I couldn't think…I just wanted to kill the trooper who…who..." she couldn't finish the sentence, but Kanan's hand on her shoulder let her know she didn't have to.

"We know, Sabine. We know why, and it's not your fault." Kanan said, gently.

Her eyes were huge and dark underneath her fall of silver-purple hair. "How can you say that? It IS my fault..."

"No, Sabine."

Sabine shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself protectively as her body trembled with tears. Hera approached with three mugs and placed them on the table, then slid in. She met Kanan's gaze, her own eyes soft with emotion. Her arms ached to hold Sabine. Not knowing how Sabine take a show of physical affection at the moment, they were hesitant.

After a few moments, she wiped under her eyes. "Kriff, sorry."

"What do you need from us, Sabine?" Hera asked. "What can we do to help?"

She shook her head, and her answer was a whisper, "I don't know." She felt broken inside-jagged and empty. What she wanted was Ezra, but Ezra needed to rest right now.

"We're here for you when you figure it out." Kanan said, using the Force to feel her emotional state. She was still on rolling waves of emotion, even though on the outside, she'd seemed to exert some tenuous control. "You know that we're here for you if you need to talk."

"Ezra...you can help him, right?" Sabine asked, reaching out for Kanan's arm. "Right?"

Kanan nodded. "I'll do my best."

She nodded, and then Zeb came out of his room. The Lasat had removed his armor and was in comfortable clothes, a tank and sleep pants due to his bandages. He was moving slowly and gritting his teeth, however, as he lowered himself into the booth beside Hera. It was obvious he was in some pain.

"I can hit you with the hypo again, if you need it." Hera said.

"Captain Hypospray is on the case," Kanan teased and took a sip of caf. Hera rolled her eyes.

"Nah. Not yet. I'm good." His eyes drifted to Sabine next to him; she looked pale and tired. Wrung out was probably a better word. He pushed back the anger toward the whole situation with the trooper, and concentrated his gaze on hers, trying his best to show he cared. "You holdin' up ok, kit?"

She nodded, glancing at the bandages that she could see. "How bad were you hurt?" It brought tears to her eyes to think of Zeb being hurt too. She felt responsible.

"It's nothing. Hera barely gave me any medicine for it. I wasn't even gonna put a bandage on it, but she made me."

At that, Sabine began to break apart again. "You're l-lying," she said in a still-wobbly voice.

"Nah, kit. You know how she is…" When he noticed a tear slip down her face, he sat up. "Wait, now. Don't cry, kit." His caring words only seemed to make her cry more. "No, no, no. Come on and slide your chair over." He held out an arm on his uninjured side and she slid over so he could wrap an arm around her, like he had at Marellus's funeral. "Shhh, kit. It's nothing. I promise." He rocked her gently, speaking against the top of her head. "I'll be good to go in two days."

She clung to his purple fur and buried her face in his shoulder. Zeb glanced up at Kanan, clearly affected by seeing her falling to pieces in front of his very eyes. As he held her, he drew her into the booth beside him and tucked her head under his chin the way he would have soothed one of his long-dead nephews on Lasan. Kits were kits, no matter what the species, he figured. He could hear her hoarse voice mumbling apologies. "Don't be sorry. He's gone, and you're safe. We're all okay. There's nothing to be sorry for, little one."

Hera wanted to hug Zeb. He had known exactly what to do. As he held Sabine tightly, her sobs turned to sniffles, then to the occasional hiccupping gasp. There was a soft rumble coming from Zeb's chest, the sound that Lasats used to calm kits on his planet, and apparently the low purr was having the intended effect. Eventually, Sabine sighed heavily and remained against Zeb, her eyes closed as if she were asleep.

They all sat quiet for a time; Kanan getting up only to get a cup of caf for Zeb.

"She's exhausted, and you're amazing." Hera said as she looked over from her own cup.

Zeb's deep rumble died down. "She's been through too much," Zeb said. "Both kits been through too much. Hell, that probably goes for all of us." He chuckled low, then grimaced as it caused a little pain in his side. "How's Ezra?"

"We've got some work to do." Kanan mused. "But his shoulder will be fine."

Zeb nodded, his paw still rubbing Sabine's back gently.

"You can't stay here all night, Zeb," Hera murmured, knowing that he would try if not stopped. "You need to rest too."

"Yeah." Zeb said, the pain showing again around his eyes. "Just lemme get her to her room." He bent down to whisper to her. "Kit, can you wake up for me? We need to get you to your room so you can rest and be comfortable."

Sabine sleepily mumbled in Mando'a. Kanan knew a little of the language from his days at the temple. He'd heard the words father and bedtime. "I think she thinks she's at home."

Slowly her eyes blinked sleepily open as she raised her head. "Wanna head to your room now?" Zeb asked.

"M'kay," she said to Zeb's gentle look.

They edged out of the booth and Zeb led her toward her quarters with his arm around her shoulder. Her bone deep tiredness was like a drug and she was ready to drop anywhere he put her down. Hera followed them and watched as Zeb lowered her to her bed. "I'm gonna let you go to sleep now, okay? You gotta do something for me, though."

"What?" She asked, falling back on her pillow with her legs still sticking off the bed. She was too tired to lift them up, so Hera did that for her, stripping off her boots.

"You gotta sleep. Don't worry about any of us. We're fine, and we love you, kit."

"I love you guys too," she murmured. Hera glanced at Zeb, realizing that either her tiredness was leading Sabine to confess things that weren't so easy to say when she was fully awake, or this was demonstrative of some sort of progress with her.

"The Ashla will watch over you." Zeb laid a hand on her head, in a sort of prayer, then headed for the door. "I'll leave you two alone." He murmured to Hera before returning to the common area. Kanan gave him another dosage of pain medicine, and soon he was off to sleep as well.

When Hera came out, Kanan was standing across the hallway, waiting on her.

"Armor took a while to strip off," she said.

He nodded. "You okay?"

"Yeah." She walked down the hallway and opened Ezra's door, looking in on the kid. He was sleeping deeply; she figured the painkiller was not only easing his pain, but helping him rest, and that was a good thing. She left the door open and turned to Kanan.

"I think I'm going to hit the bunk too. I'm as tired as they are."

"Okay." Kanan nodded, slowly turning back toward Zeb's room. He could just crash on the bunk above the Lasat.

"Kanan." Hera held out her hand to him; he took it with an uncertain look.

"Just stay with me. The kid's got your bed, and Zeb snores. It doesn't have to be complicated. Just come get some sleep, love."

He nodded and followed her back to her room.

* * *

The next morning, Kanan came to Ezra's door and saw him sitting on the floor in a meditation position. The light side of the Force wobbled unevenly around him, due to the turbulence of the Dark. When Kanan looked with the Force, he saw the Dark's black veins like claws digging into Ezra's Force signature. The kid was attempting to throw them off. It was a good sign.

He slowly went down to his knees and sat beside Ezra. Closing his eyes, he began to channel the light through him and outwards to Ezra. The radiation of the waves of light made Ezra sigh with relief as more of the dark side was pushed away. They remained this way for a while, as Kanan strengthened their bond. If Ezra continued to struggle, Kanan wanted to be able to tell.

"Better?" Kanan murmured.

"Yeah." Ezra opened his eyes but immediately bowed his head. "If you're here to tell me how I messed up last night, you don't have to. I know. Everything's all wrong now."

"Ezra, what do you mean?"

The dark side came back greedily, rushing to fill the space between them. "I messed up. I used the dark side…I know I can't be a Jedi anymore."

Kanan said nothing at first. He was thinking back when he said pretty much the same thing to Marellus. _Jedi don't make mistakes,_ he'd told the older Jedi _._ Had the kid internalized that? He couldn't let his own misunderstanding become Ezra's. He wouldn't let the kid make the same mistakes.

_The best protector is one who knows the dangers,_ Kanan heard Marellus murmur in his mind.

Ezra's failure to recognize the dark side was a mistake, yes, but Padawans make mistakes. Deep inside of Ezra was a core of blinding brilliance…not the dark side of the Inquisitors. That was what mattered.

Kanan took a deep breath and took a risk by admitting his shortcoming. "You know, I thought that too. When the dark side was whispering to me that I was a coward for leaving my master to die while I escaped, I felt like I shouldn't ever use the Force again." He pulled his soft, unfocused gaze up to Ezra's.

"I remember." Ezra whispered, his eyes full of grief. He wrapped his arms around his knees and pulled them up to his chest. Kanan noticed, however, that he was listening intently.

"I thought that I wouldn't be a good Jedi Master, and I sure as hell felt like I didn't deserve you. But I was wrong. I didn't see it then, but my eyes are open now. If you believe that I'm good enough to be your Master, then you have to believe in yourself too. We've both been caught in the Dark…but we decided to take the path of the Light, and what we do from now on is what matters."

Ezra met his eyes hopefully.

"The dark side will fade with time. We'll face it together, but you have to talk to me, kid. Don't be like me. Don't let doubt gnaw away at you. I listened to the lies the dark side was whispering in my ear…and I don't want you making the same mistake."

"I'll do better," Ezra promised.

"Talk to me then. Explain what happened last night."

"Sabine and I were coming out of a store and she just froze. I could feel her fear…it was like zingbees in her mind. Then I saw that trooper who…raped her. She'd pointed him out to me on Lothal. You know, she wanted to go after him, but I tried to stop her. I was scared at first, more scared for her than for me. They ambushed us, then one of them threatened to give her over to the Inquisitors. I got angry." He remembered the anger…like a smothering black wave of water, which he'd welcomed. He'd thought his anger made him stronger. He had thought it was better than being scared, but now he wasn't so sure.

Kanan nodded, then thought a moment at how best to instruct Ezra. "Fear is a strong emotion. It is the way of the dark side to inspire fear. It often leads to anger, which a Jedi cannot afford to cling to. Notice, I didn't say you're not supposed to feel anger. We all feel anger. But you have to let it go into the Force."

"I felt a lot of anger. It made me feel strong."

"That's the lie of the dark side," Kanan told him, thinking back to all those angry nights after his Master had died. The anger had done nothing but push him further and further from the Force.

"So, Jedi shouldn't feel fear either?" Ezra asked.

"I didn't say that. All beings feel fear. It's what you do with it, that makes the difference, Ezra. You need to face your fears and your anger and move through them. Your initiate trials may depend on it."

"Wh-what are those?"

"The test Jedi used to give to younglings to determine their readiness to become Padawans. However, there's just us, now."

A realization struck Ezra like a speeder. "Kriff. We may be the last two Jedi in the galaxy." Ezra said, wide-eyed. The weight of responsibility settled on his shoulders.

Kanan nodded, sensing it as well. "That might be true; we have no way of knowing."

"What do we do?"

Kanan thought a moment. "Before the Jedi Council existed, the Force tested those who wanted to be Padawans before awarding them their Kyber crystal. After that, a Padawan typically would build their own lightsaber. Younglings used to go to the ice planet Illum to get their crystals, but the Empire holds Illum now, so we'll have to do something different."

"Like what?"

"We're going to do what my master did for me. I'm going to take you to a Jedi temple to be tested by the will of the Force." Kanan gestured and the drawer under his bunk opened. He opened his hand and a gleaming cube of crystal and metal lifted out and floated over to him. He held the object out to Ezra.

"This is a Jedi holocron. It contains the locations of Jedi Temples, among other information. When you're ready, we'll find one to visit." Kanan handed it to him, and Ezra cradled it reverently in his hand. "My Master gave it to me the day she died. Now it's yours to figure out how to open. When you do, we'll use the Force to find the right temple."

"Your Master gave this to you? I…I can't take this," he began, sputtering. "It's…it's too important to you."

Kanan smiled. It was a bittersweet expression. "Ezra, you're what's important to me now." Kanan said, closing Ezra's hand over the object. "You're my Padawan. Whatever you need, I'm here for you. No matter what."

Ezra nodded. "I'll try to be worthy of that, Kanan."

Kanan let his hands and the holocron go. Then he got to his feet. "Okay. We're also gonna kick things up a notch with training."

"K-kick things up a notch? What do you mean by that?" Ezra scrambled to his own feet.

"More meditation," Kanan said seriously. "A lot of meditation."

"Oh." Ezra's head dropped.

Kanan gave him a smack on the shoulder, smirking at him. "As well as working with the Force. That means saber practice, kid."

"But I don't have a saber yet."

"You can use mine. Once you get your crystal, you will build your own, just like I did, and we'll spar together."

Ezra nodded, his eyes shining. He clutched the holocron to his chest. "I'll do better. I promise."

Kanan reached out and ruffled Ezra's hair gently. "I know you will do your best. And at this point, that's what matters, Padawan. Let's go get some breakfast and let Captain Hypospray check your shoulder again."

Ezra nodded.

* * *

Sabine hadn't slept well the night before, waking once during the night to go and check on Ezra. He was sleeping soundly, and after reassuring herself, she slipped back asleep. When she heard voices, she'd gotten up quickly, wanting to check on Ezra. In her armor blacks, she'd opened her door, and found Ezra standing on the other side.

"Oh! Hey. I…uh…was coming to see if you were hungry—"

Sabine threw herself at him, wrapping both arms around him.

"Hey—okay." He wrapped his good arm around her. "Careful of the shoulder."

"Sorry, oh!" She let him go but took his hand. "You okay?"

"Yeah…" He answered, surprised when she leaned in close. "Yeah. I'm feeling a lot better, now." He moved in a little so that their foreheads were touching, and when she didn't move back, he kissed her.

When he pulled away, her brown eyes were focused on him. "Ezra, I'm sorry. You…you were right. I never should've gone after him."

"It's okay. It wasn't your fault," he assured her.

"I almost got both of us killed."

"But we're okay. And…you don't have to worry anymore because you're finally safe. They're gone."

"I know, but revenge doesn't seem to mean so much when I'm looking at you…hurt." She hung her head. "Kanan mentioned—"

"Yeah. The dark side. Uh…I think we're still figuring all that out, but it's gonna be okay, Sabine. Kanan says that Jedi don't have to be perfect. They just have to learn from their mistakes."

"Well, if I ever do anything like that again, you have my permission to drag me away kicking and screaming."

"Sabine, I love you, but it would take an army of Wookies to drag you away once you make up your mind on something." He raised an eyebrow.

"I know." She said, glancing down a moment, then back up at Ezra's eyes. "But I can change. I can be better."

In reply, he just wrapped an arm around her and placed a kiss against the side of her face.

"Food's on the table." Kanan called from the kitchen. "Hurry it up."

"Come on." Ezra said. Then he spoke in a teasing voice. "They've got Spiran caf. I heard them talking about it."

Sabine smiled, for the first time since yesterday. "You know me too well, Ezra. **Too** well."

 


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: This chapter of the story was really giving me trouble, but I guess I got it worked out. We are nearing the end of this tale, and I'm sad to leave it. There's probably 2 or 3 more chapters left to write, which I have sketched out. I hope you are still enjoying this! I have some very wonderful reviews and readers and, to them, I am sorry it took me so long to get this out. I had a few work trips over the summer which have really slowed me down!

**Chapter 21**

A few weeks later, they were on Lothal, waiting to pick up a shipment headed to Garel. While they waited, Kanan asked Hera if she would land them somewhere quiet, instead of in the busy city. She had set them down on one of Lothal's wide plains at night, and all of them had gone up to lie on the warm hull and look up at the stars.

"This is really nice." Zeb murmured, reclining back with his arms crossed behind his head.

"Yeah." Kanan nodded, glancing to Ezra, who was in a meditation position, with the holocron on the hull in front of him.

"He's been working on that thing for two weeks straight." Sabine said, as she laid face down on the hull, propping her chin on her hands.

"He'll get it." Kanan could feel the kid working the Force around the Holocron's square shape. He would move the Force along with his fingers along the side of the cube, feeling for any give or seam. He'd tried almost everything. He'd levitated it, pulled at it, meditated with it and even slept with it clutched in his hand, but nothing had worked.

Kanan felt Hera's bright presence at the upper hatch as she crawled out. "Wow," she murmured, turning in a full circle looking up at the stars. "Great view." They'd been steadily working the past few weeks, banking some creds and spending most of their times in spaceports, so the opportunity to slow down and relax was a welcome one.

"Yeah." Kanan held an arm out for her and she sat beside him, laid back and snuggled into it.

"I see the stars all the time, but there's something about seeing them from Lothal." Hera murmured.

"Maybe it's the company?" Kanan grinned.

"That's probably it," Hera turned her head and placed a kiss on his cheek. As they'd worked together over the past few weeks, she'd sensed their all their bonds deepening. Her crew was slowly becoming a family, and that made her extremely happy. She hadn't had that feeling since before her mother died, and she was surprised to find out that she missed it.

They remained in the darkness, highlighted by Lothal's two moons, as the stars wheeled above them. After a long time, Zeb took a deep breath. "You can really feel the Ashla here," he said, in a relaxed voice.

"What's the Ahsla?" Sabine asked.

"The Force. Lasat call the light side of the Force the Ashla. It can be felt flowing through all living things."

"So can Lasat use the Force too?" Hera asked.

"Not like a Jedi, although some have that gift." Zeb whispered, then corrected himself. "I mean, had that gift." His voice dropped a little, and Sabine noticed.

She moved so that she was lying closer to Zeb. She looked up into his green eyes with empathy. "I'm sorry, Zeb."

He reached out and laid a gentle paw on her forearm, "Thanks, kit."

"Loth-rat, Loth-cat, Loth-wolf run. Pick a path and all is _done_." Ezra whispered as he chose two sides to depress on the cube. This time, however, he visualized the cube opening with the Force. The box levitated in front of his eyes, casting blue light all around like a star. He scrambled to his feet and took a few steps back. A warm gentle wind blew his too-long hair out of his eyes, and the corners of the box flew out as it seemed to disassemble itself. The first thing he thought was that he'd broken it, but the little pieces were spinning around the floating object as if they were meant to do it. It was quite beautiful.

Kanan sat up with Hera. "You did it," Kanan said proudly, a half-smile on his features.

"Yeah." Ezra glanced at him through the blue light. "What…what do I do now?"

"Ask the Force to show you the way to the temple." The Jedi said as he got to his feet. Ever since they'd spoken about his initiate trials they'd been working hard to get Ezra past his brush with the dark side. Ezra had meditated every day under Kanan's watchful eye, working hard to release his fear into the Force. This was just one more sign that everything was going to be okay. As Ezra concentrated, the blue holographic light coalesced into a star map of the Outer Rim. Little planets and systems made themselves clear as the hologram unfolded itself under the starry Lothal sky. "These are Jedi temples." Kanan pointed out the tiny dots that appeared on some of the planets.

As Ezra began to walk around the map, one of the temples appeared a brighter dot than the others. It seemed to glow with a roseate light. "Kanan? Why is this temple brighter?'

Kanan's brow furrowed. "It's not, but the fact that you perceive it that way says something very important. That planet is…" He read the aurebesh next to it. "Alora. The Force must be calling you there."

Ezra looked through the haze of blue to Kanan, then to Hera. "So, we'll go there?"

Hera stepped forward and put a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "If that's where you're meant to go, we'll leave tomorrow." Hera said, holding a hand out to Kanan, then leading him back to their place on the hull.

"How…how do I get it closed?" Ezra said.

Kanan smiled. "You'll have to figure that out for yourself."

Ezra glanced to Sabine, who smiled at him, then he closed his eyes. He tried several things, then he pushed with the Force, imagining his hand squeezing the cube. It collapsed to its previous form. "Good job." Kanan called to him in the semi-dark.

Ezra and Sabine sat back down on the hull and leaned back to see the stars.

"When I was little, my dad and I would look up at the constellations. There's the Tooka." He pointed out a group of stars that had just risen over the horizon. It did sort of look like a Loth-cat, Sabine thought. "And there, that's the Great Wolf constellation." Ezra told Sabine, pointing her toward a collection of stars in the sky. "See the bright one?"

"Yeah."

"That's his eye. He's watching Lothal to protect it. That's what my dad um...al…always said." Sabine looked up when Ezra's voice caught. His face twisted as he tried to fight the grief that had taken him by surprise. Even though he had closed his eyes, a tear still seeped out to track down his face.

"I'm so sorry." She pressed closer to him and felt his arm go around her in a sort of hug. He buried his face against her hair. "It's gonna be okay."

"It's just that…Lothal needs someone to protect it." Ezra said, his voice rough but coming back under his control. "My parents tried…but then the soldiers came for them. Arson tried…and died."

Kanan's voice came across to them in the dark. "We're Lothal's protectors now, Ezra. I promise we'll do everything we can to protect Lothal and its people from the Empire." He could feel Ezra's grief over the loss of his parents in the Force, and he sent back care and reassurance.

"I second that." Zeb said softly, from his corner of the hull.

"We might not be able to defeat the Empire right now," Hera said softly. "But we can do everything we can to save the people of Lothal and change things for people out here. And when the time is right, we'll do what we can for all the people of the Outer Rim."

"Thank you." Ezra managed, feeling Sabine's hand twine into his own. "Thank you, guys."

"Thank you, Ezra. For showing us the way." Kanan replied.

* * *

The kids had gone in to bed, and Zeb had followed not soon after. The light from the hatch faded and Hera and Kanan were left in the dark, to look up at the star-studded heavens above them. She'd almost drifted to sleep, lulled by the soft wind and the gentle moonlight shining down. A gentle touch on her cheek made her open her eyes and look up. Kanan was on his side, resting his head on his hand and looking down at her.

"I thought we were looking at the stars, love," she said as she caught his intense look.

"You're more beautiful than any star."

She smiled up at him in the darkness. "I don't know how you can see me in the dark, but thank you."

"We've got the moons, and I don't have to see you with my eyes anyway." He closed his eyes, tracing one finger over the curve of her cheek, down to her neck.

"You're peeking." She smiled as he ran his fingertips to her shoulder.

"Nope." The gentle pressure moved up her neck to the base of her skull. She sighed as he massaged away the stress in the back of her neck, wringing a groan from her. Toward the end, the back of his hand brushed down the underside of a tattooed lek and she gasped. He immediately stopped, his eyebrow quirked with a question. "Was that ticklish or something?"

She rolled on her side, now facing him. "Um…did you ever…were you ever with a Twi'lek before?" He certainly knew how to touch her, she thought, as she struggled to calm her beating heart. She could still feel the ghost of his hands on her skin, and she was surprised to find she wanted more.

Kanan shook his head. "No. Did I hurt you?" He looked worried now.

She shook her head no. "The underside of a lek…it's a bit…intimate," she explained, actually blushing. "I mean if you're trying to get something started…it's definitely working…"

Now it was his turn to blush. "Oh…OH!" He said as it dawned on him. He hadn't slept with a Twi'lek, but he'd heard stories. He just hadn't been thinking about that when it came to her. "Okay, I think we can both agree that I'm officially an idiot." He paused, happy to hear her laugh softly as she shook her head.

"Oh, I didn't mind it, love," she breathed, "I just wanted to make sure you knew…what you're getting into," she reached over and took a strand of his brown hair between her fingers. It was soft, like spun synthsilk. Against her better judgement, she tugged at his hair tie and then wound her fingers into the slightly wavy brown hair. He seemed to like that.

"I never stayed with anyone more than a week or two, but now...I…I can't imagine being without you." He leaned over and kissed her, his hand sliding to the back of her head to pull her in.

She groaned again at the roughness of his voice contrasted with the softness of his touches. "Kanan—" she said, leaning in to bury her face against his chest. "I feel exactly the same." She lifted her eyes to his.

"I like the sound of that," he leaned in and began to kiss his way back to her neck again and further back, until he was nuzzling at the base of her lek again.

She shuddered with sensation. "Now you're doing it on purpose." He began moving down her lek, past the barrier of her pilot's cap, until his mouth was kissing gently on her bare skin. "Gods, Kanan. You're coming to bed with me. Right kriffing now," she growled, arching her body against his own.

It was the response Kanan was waiting for. "Yes, Ma'am." Kanan immediately stood up, grabbing her by the hand and pulling her to her feet.

They came down the ladder to an empty common room. It was obvious everyone had gone to bed, and Hera pulled him toward her bedroom. When she stopped to key open the door, Kanan began dropping kisses along her shoulders and she mis-keyed the code. "I'm gonna get you for that," she said, in a voice full of promise.

"I'm just following orders," Kanan said innocently. He wrapped both arms around her in a hug as she got the door open.

She turned in his grip, looking up with clear green eyes. "Wait a minute…Kanan, tell me you're sure about this."

"I'm sure. I can't promise that I'm not gonna kriff this up-Force knows I'm a walking disaster-but…I'm here. I'm not going anywhere. This…you…the kids…Zeb…you're my family. I love you, Hera."

"I love you, too." She whispered with a smile, tugging on his hand. "Now come on."

* * *

Two days later, the _Ghost_ set down on the overgrown landing pad on Alora. It hadn't taken long for the forest to retake the complex, and everywhere grass stuck up through the cracks in the duracrete. The Jedi temple site was near the mountains, snugged into a hilly portion of the great woods.

"Wow. It's really green." Ezra said, looking out onto the shaded verdant woodland. He was used to the faded green of Lothal's grasslands, not the brilliant many-shaded greens he was seeing out of the viewport.

Hera had been forced to finesse her way through the trees to land the Ghost; once she'd had to turn it completely vertical to zoom between two trees. The canopy had thickened after the temple had been deserted and getting a ship through was tough. "This planet isn't that populated."

"Maybe that means the temple hasn't been destroyed." Kanan said.

"Would there have been Jedi who lived here during the Republic?" Ezra asked.

Kanan nodded. "They would have left as soon as…they knew what was happening, though, so it should be deserted now."

"Look." Sabine pointed, and they saw the grey of stone peeking through the shadows. "That must be part of the temple."

Hera began flipping switches and powering down the _Ghost_. "Chopper. I want you to remain scanning for Imperials. If you detect anything, let me know immediately."

Chopper squawked his agreement as they stood up and exited the ship.

Kanan watched Ezra and Sabine explore the overgrown area that obviously used to be a meditation garden before it had become thick with weeds. His padawan was holding Sabine's hand in his own as they talked in hushed tones.

"I think they're good for each other." Hera murmured, twining her hand into Kanan's. "Like us."

"Yeah." Kanan glanced at Hera. "She hasn't had a nightmare since that one last week." It had been bad, leading her to hide in the storage closet on the upper level. She'd been holding a Westar in each hand when Ezra had opened the door. Despite the fact that she had pointed the guns at him, Ezra had crawled into the closet with her, and finally coaxed her into his arms where she broke down and cried. None of them had had dry eyes as they watched Ezra's bond with her bring her back from the darkness of her dreams. Eventually, they'd all ended up piled into the Dejarik booth with hot cocoa, all the lights on and an old holonet movie playing. Sometime near dawn, Sabine had fallen asleep with her head on Ezra's shoulder.

"Think the kid's ready?" Zeb said as he approached with the packs that Kanan and Ezra had packed the previous night.

"He's as ready as I can make him." Kanan replied as they stepped onto the small duracrete stones that comprised a path which led to the Temple. "But this won't be easy."

"Well, if he fails, he can just try it again later, right?" Zeb asked.

Kanan looked grave. "I'm not sure. This…will be different than the testing I went through. Jedi Masters tested me, but Ezra…" he looked across at his Padawan. "Ezra will be tested by the will of the Force. It's a different thing." He could feel the unease of Hera and Zeb as he continued to walk with them toward the entrance.

"Ezra." He called when they drew close. "It's time."

Ezra and Sabine rejoined them.

All five of them regarded the ivy-covered stone entrance in front of them. The doors were covered in ancient script, covered by vines. Kanan walked forward, intending on brushing away the vegetation. There were blaster marks underneath, where parts of the door's surface had been blown off.

"Did stormtroopers do this?" Ezra said, stepping forward to brush his fingers over the chipped stone.

"Possibly," Kanan murmured, distracted with his own memories of the past. His fingertips brushed over the damaged surface as well.

"It was to get to the Jedi?" Ezra said, his voice dropped to a whisper. Suddenly, the destruction of all the Jedi hit him, all at once. He had known…had heard about the Purge since he was little—had heard the abject sorrow in Kanan's voice when he spoke about it-but being here…at one of the places where the Jedi were destroyed-it underscored how he and Kanan were possibly the last two. He could feel the deep sorrow he'd sensed in Kanan coming to the surface, and it frightened him. Ezra began to feel a heavy responsibility settling about his shoulders. "Kanan…are we…the last two?"

"Maybe. Probably." Ezra could feel him take a tighter hold on his emotions. He looked up at the door. "You have to help with the door. We have to open the temple together."

"It's too big." Ezra murmured, looking at the tall stone doors that dwarfed them. "They'll be too heavy."

"Someone once told me that 'Size matters not,'" Kanan said, hearing the ghost of Master Yoda in his words. "Two are needed to open a temple. A Master and a Padawan. That's us."

Kanan lifted his hand, palm pointing at the door. At a glance, Ezra did the same. They closed their eyes and reached for the Force.

And nothing happened.

Kanan let out a soft sigh. "Stop thinking about what you can't do. Open yourself to the Force and let it flow outwards toward the door."

Ezra tried…in his mind he imagined pushing the door open, just as he moved small objects, but nothing was happening. "I…I can't."

"Yes, you can." Kanan reached out and put a hand on Ezra's shoulder, still extending a hand outward. They tried once more and there was a long scraping sound.

Ezra's eyes went wide in disbelief, but Kanan's hand tightened on him.

"Concentrate." Kanan warned. As Ezra re-focused, there were more scraping noises and the doors swung open, allowing the diffused sunlight to spill into the passage a short way.

Ezra could see the bright blue and green of the tiled floor. "Wow," he said, his voice soft, but full of amazement. Underneath their feet, circles and lines scratched into the stone were glowing a soft gold.

Kanan reached out and ruffled Ezra's hair. "Remember this. Never think about what you can't do. Make a way to get it done. Many things are possible with the Force that can't be taught."

"Yes, Master."

Kanan turned to the three that were silently watching them.

"How long will you be in there?" Hera asked.

"I'm not sure. It could be hours, could be a few days." Kanan approached and took Hera's hand. "But we will come back." He wrapped both arms around her, hugging her close. When he finally let her go, he shouldered his pack and clapped Zeb on the shoulder.

"Ashla be with you, my friend." Zeb said.

Ezra came to Sabine. She hugged him fiercely. "Be careful, Ezra."

"I will."

She rested her forehead against his own for a moment. "You know how I feel about you."

"I do." Ezra whispered. "I love you too."

He reluctantly let her go and moved to Zeb and Hera.

"You're going to be just fine, kit," Zeb said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Be careful." Hera hugged him. When she let him go, Ezra turned to join Kanan.

"Ready?"

"Yeah."

They disappeared into the temple darkness together. Hera listened to the sound of their footsteps echoing, then fading. "Okay," she sighed, putting an arm around Sabine. "Now, we wait."

* * *

Sabine, Zeb and Hera had retreated to the _Ghost_ , but Sabine sat on the ramp, watching the dark entrance to the temple as if she were on guard duty. All of a sudden, she saw movement through the green fronds of fern and grass. A figure passed behind a tree and she lost sight of it. She drew one of her weapons and keyed her comm.

"Hera," she whispered. "Someone's heading toward the entrance." Her heart was pounding and she'd ducked down but now made her way toward the temple, using the long grasses and trees to hide her approach.

The figure she'd seen was now nearing the temple doors. It wore a cloak and hood in a greenish brown shade, and she couldn't see its features, although she could tell it was probably a man by his height and broad shoulders. He was just standing in front of the pathway to the door, staring inside with rapt attention.

She came up behind him and put the muzzle of one Westar to his head and one to his back. "Stay still," she hissed. "How many are with you?"

"Just me. No one else."

"You'd better not be lying." She jammed the gun into his back.

"I'm not lying," he breathed. "I'm not."

Hera and Zeb came up from behind. Zeb had the stranger covered with his bo-rifle. "We got him Sabine. You! Turn around, slow."

Sabine backed up and the person turned around. "Pull off your cowl," Hera said.

The figure did, and Hera gasped.

Although he was white-haired and a lot older than the ones that Hera remembered, she immediately recognized the clone soldier standing in front of them.

 


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi. I've been working on this a while now and couldn't get it just right until today. Sorry for the long update times on all my stories and not getting back to thank everyone for the sweet reviews...I'm a teacher and we just went back to school and it always takes me a week or two to get back in the swing of things...

**Chapter 22**

As Ezra's eyes adjusted to the temple hallway they were following, he realized it was leading downward. The lights along the walls illuminated as they moved deeper into the underground complex, and finally, the dusty hallways opened into a large chamber, where the lights shone more brightly.

"Kanan…"

There were two figures in the room. One was sitting, cross-legged against a pillar. The other one was lying on the floor. Ezra could see the face of the seated person. It had been a man. His face was desiccated, but an expression of peace was clearly evident. The Jedi robes he wore, probably much like the ones Kanan himself had probably worn at one time, bore the roughly circular burned edges of a blaster wound. It looked like the man had been killed while meditating.

Kanan knelt beside the fallen Jedi and picked up its lightsaber. A greenish glow illuminated the room, revealing an expression of sadness on Kanan's face. "The troopers must have gotten in." Kanan said grimly, disengaging the blade and placing the saber back beside the fallen Jedi's hand.

He stood staring down at the body for long moments. Not even trying, Ezra could sense the waves of pounding sadness, helplessness and anger breaking over his master.

Ezra approached. "Kanan. I'm sorry."

"It's in the past," he replied coolly. Like a curtain had been dropped over it, the emotional storm Ezra had sensed just vanished. "Let's go further into the chamber."

Thankfully, they found no one else around.

"Let's meditate here." Kanan finally said and knelt on the tile floor. Ezra realized there were the remains of meditation mats on the floor and several rolled up in the corner. They were made of some sort of woven fiber, which had begun to deteriorate with the years. _How many Jedi had meditated where he now stood?_ he wondered. _How had they died?_

Ezra knelt, speaking softly. "How long do we have to meditate?"

"Until something happens." Kanan said, reaching over to place a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "When the Force is ready for you, you'll know."

Ezra slipped into the flowing water of the light easily. The Force was so deep here, and his ability to connect with others so strong that he could sense Kanan's thoughts as they meditated, even though the Jedi was trying to hide them. He didn't want to cause Ezra to worry—he wanted Ezra to focus his efforts on his test.

But as time passed, Ezra went deeper. Kanan's sadness throbbed in the Force…the agony of losing everyone he'd ever known during the Jedi purge was like a wound festering under the surface. He could feel Kanan's fear of losing everyone he loved once again, like a hungry maw trying to swallow him whole. All the coldness of the dark side was snapping at him, but held at bay by his furious clutch around the light. His will was winning out, but only because he was fighting with every bit of strength he had, every day.

As Ezra opened himself completely to the light, he realized that it was Kanan's connection to them that was keeping him safe from that darkness. Marellus had been right.

Kanan felt an enormous responsibility for the _Ghost_ crew. It was the same responsibility that led him to face down the Inquisitor in that no-win scenario and to get up again and again to keep them safe. It had brought him back when his heart stopped in the _Ghost's_ medbay. His love for them was like armor. Ezra didn't know how he knew any of this, but he saw it in a clear brilliant light that seemed to illuminate everything. Kanan would die for any of them in an instant. Was this what being a Jedi meant?

It was such a clear view of Kanan's heart that Ezra had to look away. It was too real…too raw. To even see or know these things felt like an invasion of Kanan's privacy. When he opened his eyes, he saw that Kanan hadn't noticed...he was still meditating deeply. His head was slightly inclined and his breaths were deep and regular, as if he were asleep.

_Ezra._

The voice came from behind his ear; it was many voices, and one at the same time.

 _When the Force is ready for you, you'll know,_ Kanan had said.

Without movement in the room, the lights had dimmed. Ezra lifted his head, looking around in the near dark, and saw nothing around them but semi-shadows that stretched into the corners of the room. He waited a long time, heard nothing, then bowed his head to meditate again.

_Ezra, it's time._

This time he stood, and took a few steps forward. A doorway appeared that he hadn't noticed before; it was old—cut into the stone of the earth with rough tools. He approached and traced his fingers down the unfamiliar symbols on it. He glanced once back at Kanan, who still had not moved and the voice came again.

_Come, Ezra.  
_

He turned and with a deep breath, he walked through the doorway.

* * *

"Why are you here?" Hera asked. Sabine drew the clone's blaster from his holster and stuck it in her belt, keeping him covered the entire time.

"Your Jedi. I need to speak to your Jedi," the soldier said.

"I say we kill this guy now." Sabine said, clicking the safety off of both her blasters and aiming. Her anxiety was ratcheting up without Ezra around. "Something's not right here."

"You and your brothers killed all the Jedi." Zeb growled. "Don't you think you've done enough?"

The soldier bowed his white-haired head under Zeb and Sabine's skeptical glares. "I'm not here to hurt anyone. I just want…I mean...need some answers." Hera watched the clone closely as he held out his trembling hands plaintively. "I'm not here to hurt your Jedi friend."

"What makes you any different than the other clones?" Hera said, pulling her own blaster, but not aiming. "Why shouldn't I put a blast into your skull right now?" She detected the shine of tears in his eyes. "You and your kind killed a lot of good people."

"I…I can't explain it." The clone hung his head.

"How about you give it a kriffin' shot?" Sabine scowled. Zeb edged closer to her, knowing it would help her keep her anxiety in check. All three of them were protective of Ezra and Kanan.

"Everything was fine. We were fighting the Separatists and doing recon here. Then there was an order from the Emperor…and then all of my brothers around me believed our Jedi were traitors and …I can't explain. For a while I believed it too. It was like a nightmare that I couldn't wake up from.

"Then one day…I did. I woke up. And I realized that what we did…was so wrong. The other troopers, they didn't feel any guilt. But me…I couldn't get past it. All I could think of was…was to find someone…anyone who survived and somehow try to understand what happened…" His voice was trembling as he glanced to the temple's open door with hungry eyes. "Are…are there Jedi survivors with you? Maybe if I…could talk to them…" He reached up and wiped away the tears that streamed down the creases in his face. "Maybe I could understand why…"

"You're not talking to anyone." Zeb growled. His paw was sweaty on the trigger of his bo-rifle. From what he knew of the clones…he knew that they had simply turned and murdered the Jedi across the whole galaxy for no reason that anyone had been able to discern. The Jedi knights had been branded traitors and coldly executed…adults and children alike. This clone knew they had a Jedi with them, and Zeb didn't like that a karking bit. "Hera. What do we do here?"

Hera was at a loss. This clone survivor was the oldest clone she'd ever seen. She didn't even think they usually lived this long, but apparently this one had, out here alone in this forest near this Jedi Temple. The guilt over his actions seemed to have weighed heavily on him. He was old and weak, not much of a threat to anyone, but she couldn't take that chance with him around her Jedi. "Sabine. I know you took his blaster, but pat him down for other weapons."

The Mandalorian holstered her blasters and then gave the clone an Imperial-style patdown, just like she'd been taught in the Academy. "He's clean."

"What did they call you?" Hera checked.

"RJ5656."

"Ok, RJ. If you do anything against one of us, I'll put two between your eyes before you can take a breath. Do you understand me?"

He looked up with watery eyes and nodded.

"Just so you know where I'm coming from." Hera said, reseating her blaster in her holster.

"Yes, ma'am. Who…who went into the temple?" The clone pleaded. "He…he was a Jedi, correct?"

"I'm not answering questions right now." Hera cut him off curtly. "See that fallen log over there? Sit." She glanced at Zeb. "Keep him in your sights. If he does anything the least bit suspicious, shoot him." Then she turned to Sabine and laid a hand on her shoulder to calm her. She knew the girl was as worried about Ezra as she was about Kanan. "Sabine. I need you to go into the storage closet and get the pair of binders I keep in there."

"With pleasure." She shot a glare to the clone, then left to follow Hera's order.

Zeb kept his rifle leveled on the clone as Hera spoke. It was unlikely the old man would overhear them because she had lowered her voice. "I…I don't know what to do Zeb. I could just let him go, but then we'll be looking over our shoulder the whole time. We could kill him, but he's not being hostile…at least right now. He…he could be telling the truth." She lifted her gaze to the Lasat. "But if Kanan comes back and sees him here…"

She didn't get the chance to finish her thought because Sabine returned with the binders and electronic key.

"I…I'm not going to hurt anyone." RJ said again. He held out his hands as Hera approached with the binders.

She snapped the binders on him, hands in front. "This is more for your protection than for ours."

"W..why is…is that?"

"Because when our people come out of there, one of them is likely to shoot you on sight." Hera said, slipping the electronic release fob in her pocket.

"Hey, don't worry though. We'll probably shoot you before that happens," Zeb shrugged and smiled, showing his teeth.

Hera went on, crossing her arms over her chest. "I think you could be telling the truth about meaning no harm. But, if you prove me wrong, I hope you know you're a dead man."

"That's fair, ma'am." The clone hung his head.

"It's getting dark soon. It'll be cool. Let's build a small fire." Hera said. "And I'll take first watch."

* * *

Time passed as Kanan dropped deeper and deeper into the Force. There was an undercurrent of memories and voices in the sea of the light which swirled around him. He felt Ezra move away, further into the complex and knew his test had begun. A fierce love for the boy overwhelmed him and he sent it into the Force after him.

Seeing the dead Jedi in the temple had been a shock. Walking in with Ezra had been the first time he'd been in a Jedi temple since the Purge; he'd been worried he would lose his tenuous grip on his emotions, and therefore he clamped down hard on them. He was good at it. Over the years he'd always done the same-simply pushed his grief over everything away. He'd never dealt with the pain until recently.

But now, with Ezra gone, it was welling up within him, like dark water from a cold spring. He could feel the dark side swell within him as his anxiety built. He tried to meditate, to find his center, but the shadows taunted him. The Force had turned cool, with deep currents that began to move him further from the light.

**You will lose them.**

**They will die because of you. Because of what you are.**

**Coward.**

It was impossible to shut out the swell of the dark side. He shifted on the rocky floor, taking in the scent of earth and rocks, of cool shadows and damp dirt. He desperately needed to find his center, but his worry over Ezra, his worry about losing his new family…it made peace hard to reach.

When he opened his eyes, he saw something strange. He was no longer in the temple—he was meditating on a windy plain. He stood, looking up at the stars, when he saw the Great Wolf constellation that Ezra had pointed out just a few days before.

"Lothal." He murmured.

There was no answer. He looked around and saw a person standing ahead of him in the grass. As he drew closer, he realized it was Ezra. He was taller and carried a lightsaber at his waist. The wind was blowing his hair back as he stared out into the night. Kanan approached, but Ezra didn't appear to notice.

"Kanan." Ezra's voice was deeper than it had been. Kanan realized with a squeeze of his heart that the boy had grown up. "I know you're not here, but I hope you can hear me somehow." His Padawan reached out and brushed his fingers along the top of the tall grasses as he appeared to gather his thoughts. "I've tried to do everything you taught me to do. To be the person that you helped me believe I can be."

"Ezra—" Kanan's eyes gleamed with tears, but he realized his Padawan couldn't hear him. This vision was from the future.

 _A future that might never be,_ his master's voice whispered as it swirled around him. _All paths are in flux. This is but one possible road._

"…And that means I have to save Lothal. Remember that night when we all promised to be Lothal's protectors? Well, I'm not sure if I can pull this plan off…" Ezra smiled and shook his head ruefully, "because it's crazy, really crazy, just like all the other plans we always had, but I'm going to try and have faith. I might not make it, but if I save Lothal, it'll be worth it." He looked up, his eyes searching the stars. "I just hope that you know how much you meant to me…how much you still mean to me. I…I just wish you were here." Ezra dropped his head, seemingly struggling with something as he paused, then went on in a lower voice. "More than anything else, I want you to know that…I learned your last lesson well."

He bowed his head and stood, eyes closed and hands open, brushing the grass.

"Ezra…" A voice from behind them. "It's time."

Kanan turned to look and saw a speeder. An older Sabine was standing in the grass nearby, with her hand out toward Ezra.

Ezra cast a final glance up to the Great Wolf constellation, then turned and made his way toward Sabine. They went back to the speeder hand in hand and were gone.

The wind continued to blow as Kanan turned around him in a circle; seeing no one. There was just empty grassland, rocks and miles and miles of blue sky.

"What does he have to face?" Kanan asked the spangled darkness.

There was no answer. The wind was failing and the plain was dissolving around him into a dark starry night. "Did...did I teach him enough?" Kanan asked the empty sky. "Will he...be okay?"

Again, there was no answer. He let his arms drop and bowed his head. It appeared that the Force had given him all the information he would get. He settled back down to wait.


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I got Ezra's trial done. I hope you enjoy it! Thanks for reading so far. I think we know what's next...Kanan must face his own trial. I have it fleshed out, just have to join it to this point of the story, then refine and I'll post again.

**Chapter 23**

Ezra walked into a large, long hallway. The floors were made out of rich colored tile, and as he looked up, he saw black through the windows that lined the transparisteel ceiling.

There was no one in the hallways at first. Then Ezra heard the march of feet. He turned and quickly went through the nearest door into what appeared to be a storage room. Instead of closing it completely behind him, he peered out of the crack in the door with one eye, in order to see who was coming and where he was.

He saw a dark cloaked figure leading rows of troopers down the hallway. Ezra wasn't practiced at reading Force signatures, but the dark side was strong with this one. So strong that every cell in his body was terrified. He shut the door, sliding to the floor and squeezing his eyes shut and trying not to be noticed. The evil reached out, grasping for him like the tentacles of some giant underwater creature.

"No…no…no," he breathed.

The sound of marching grew louder, then softer as it moved away. Ezra realized he could hear the sound of screams and blasters.

"Shhh."

Ezra opened his eyes to see a little blond-haired boy, and a Twi'lek girl huddled in the back of the storage closet. They were both dressed like Jedi, in tunics and robes. Their eyes were huge in the dark, and Ezra judged them to be about 3 to 5 years old.

"They're going to find us. We need to run." The Twi'lek was the older one. She was green, like Hera. He could see that she was trembling, and he scooted closer to the two kids.

"Don't…leave…" The little boy said, tears slipping down his face. "I'm scared."

Ezra could feel the Force turn ugly and thick around them, boiling with evil. He could sense that beyond them, people were dying.

"Where are we?" Ezra asked.

"The Jedi Temple."

"Where?"

"The Temple...on Coruscant," the Twi'lek said in reaction to his confusion.

Ezra's face fell. The Jedi temple. Stormtroopers…people dying. His heart started hammering as he realized what this was. The Jedi were dying around them. These little kids were helpless. Part of him thought he didn't have the time to save them; they would only slow him down. Another part of him...a larger part knew he had to get these kids to safety…before they were murdered. He thought of his options for a moment, then made his decision.

"Okay. Look. Do you know a way out of here?"

The Twi'lek nodded.

"When we go out, which way do we go?"

"L-left, I think."

Ezra nodded. "Okay. What's your names?"

"I'm Chara. This is Taim," the Twi'lek gestured to the little boy.

"Taim. I'm gonna carry you, okay? I think we can run faster that way."

Taim nodded, wiping the tears off of his face with the heels of his hands.

"Chara. I need you to take my hand when we go out of here. Can you run fast?"

"I'm the fastest in my clan." Chara answered.

"Good. You're leading me, okay? I'll keep up; don't worry." Ezra reached out for the boy and settled him on his back. Chara looked out and then nodded, throwing the door open. They began to run down the hallway, Ezra listening to the sounds around them and trying to tap into the light the way Kanan had taught him…to sense danger ahead of time.

Tap, tap…the sound of their feet was very loud on the polished tile of the main hallway.

"Here. This way." Chara tugged Ezra's hand to lead him down a smaller hallway. The hallway ended in a door. She led them in and they found themselves in a huge, mirrored room with cushioned mats.

"Come on." Chara said. "There's a turbolift."

Ezra ran, but his legs felt heavy as he ran, as if something was on the other side that he didn't want to see. The door slid open as they ran toward it.

The hallway was a killing ground. There were the dead, twisted bodies of children; some were Ezra's age, but some were younger…as young as the boy he carried on his back. They began to backpedal, as a dark cloaked form stepped into the doorway. It lit a blue lightsaber, but the creature in front of him was no Jedi.

"Give me the younglings and I'll allow you to live." The person in front of him was a man. Ezra still couldn't see the features, but the yellow eyes gleamed with the dark side.

"No." Ezra backed up, letting Taim slip from his grasp. _Reach_ , the Force sang and Ezra held out a hand. A lightsaber flew from one of the dead hands outside, smacking into Ezra's palm with a solid thwop. He took a step back, thumbing the switch as if he'd built it himself. A light blue blade lit up with a snap-hiss and he held it out in front of him.

The darksider laughed bitterly. "I have been trained by the best Jedi swordmasters in the galaxy. What makes you think you have a hope of beating me?"

Ezra felt the sheer terror of despair, but still he held the blade in front of him, in one of the simple stances that Kanan had taught him. "Run." He told Chara without removing his eyes from his opponent. "Take Taim and run as fast as you can."

There was the tap, tap, tap of their little feet on the floor behind him.

The man in front of him lashed out with his saber again and again. The blows were powerful and drove Ezra back. He was doing all he could to keep the darksider from burying the blade in his brain when he realized that the Force-user was playing with him, like a tooka with a Loth-rat. He could have killed Ezra at any time. With a sneer, the dark one held out a hand and Ezra's blade was snatched from his fist. There was a grim smile on the cowled man's features as he crossed the two blades in front of him and advanced.

"You will never be a Jedi."

Ezra scrambled back, stumbling and falling. His feet scraped the floor as he tried to gain purchase. "You're wrong. The Force called me to be a Jedi."

"Your master is a fool who will fall to the dark side the first time you disappoint him."

"No!" Ezra shook his head, holding out his hand uselessly as if he could hold back the blade that was raised above him. He squeezed his eyes shut and cried out as the darksider above him brought down the blade with a growl of fury.

And he felt nothing.

When he opened his eyes, he was in the same position, but in a room that he didn't recognize. It took a moment to stop his heart from hammering in his chest. He looked down at his body, checking for wounds, but found none. Knowing he was okay, he then examined his surroundings, shaking off whatever that had been. Had it been a vision? Had he really been in the past with those Jedi younglings? He wasn't sure. He'd have to ask Kanan. But first, he had to get back to his Jedi master.

He was in a doorless room that gleamed with soft blue-green light, the illumination coming from crystals set into the black stone. Some were blue, some were green and there were a few that gleamed with a soft white light. There was a sensation of being underwater-the chamber was decorated with beautiful enameled blue and green mosaics set into the floor. He turned around to look behind him and he beheld a seated woman. She was beautiful; her face was lit from within by a radiant and serene glow. A fall of thick dark hair was decorated with intricate braids and a cascade of roses. She wore soft brown robes. Ezra noticed that her hands were clasped together in her lap as she sat meditating.

"Hello?"

The woman didn't open her eyes or look up. In fact, for a moment, Ezra had the feeling that he was looking at a lifelike statue. "I…I don't know what to do next," he said softly to himself as he approached. He was trying to see if her chest was rising and falling under her robes, but he couldn't tell. Finally, he reached out and touched one finger to her shoulder.

And her eyes opened. "Youngling."

Ezra startled and took a step back. "You're real." He'd thought she was a statue, but she was just as alive as he was. He could even smell the roses in her hair.

She smiled at him. "Please sit." She gestured to the floor and Ezra dropped into a meditation stance without thinking. "Why are you here?"

With the beautiful woman's attention focused on him, Ezra looked away shyly, picking at the armor plating on one of his shins. "I'm…I'm here to see if the Force wants me to be a Jedi."

"A Jedi." She nodded, looking wise. "This is a very noble thing in such a dark time. Tell me, youngling. Why do you desire to do this?"

"Because the…the Empire is bad. I hate them. They took my parents…and hurt…a lot of people. They hurt my Master, and other people that I care about."

"Ahh…so you wish to become a Jedi for the sake of revenge? Your Master taught you this?"

He shook his head vigorously. "No."

"He did not?" She smiled, looking satisfied in some secret way that Ezra didn't really understand. As she inclined her head, the jewels on her brow gleamed. "But you still feel anger toward the ones that hurt you. Is that the Jedi way, according to this Master of yours?"

"No, he would never tell me that. I…I know I'm not perfect." Ezra hung his head, "But Kanan told me that a Jedi can't avoid feeling fear and anger. It's what you do with it that counts. And I'm trying to do the right thing." He paused thoughtfully, "Kanan's so brave, and I wanna be like that. Able to help people. I know I have a lot to learn…but I don't give up easy." He met her brown eyes, trying to make her believe him. He wasn't sure if she was a part of this whole "test" or if this was something he didn't yet understand.

"No. I don't believe you ever give up, young Padawan." The beautiful woman smiled.

"Can—can I ask a question?"

She nodded.

"Are you a Jedi?"

She smiled. "Once, long ago, I was a Jedi as you strive to be." She gestured to the walls. "This cave is filled with kyber crystals. Your heart has been tested and found to be true; you have earned your crystal, young Padawan. A true kyber calls to its Jedi. Close your eyes and listen with the Force for the crystal attuned to you."

Ezra stood, turning around and around as he examined the walls.

"Close your eyes, youngling. Listen to it sing its song for you." She closed her own eyes as if demonstrating.

Ezra tried two times to center himself, then it worked. He heard a high, musical note and followed it to a crystal embedded in the wall, a double terminated one with a point on one end. He tugged at it unsuccessfully and was just about to ask a question, when it came loose in his hand. It was a crystal the color of the sky on Lothal.

"Woah." He said, turning to the woman with a grin.

"Keep it safe, child." The woman motioned to him and Ezra drew closer. "There are dark days ahead, Ezra Bridger. You will be called upon again and again. You will face choices between the paths of light and dark. Follow the light and you will always know the right path, Ezra. Listen to your Master and learn well."

"I will. Why…why don't you come with us?" He hated the idea of leaving her here alone in this empty Jedi temple.

Her smile was bittersweet. "I am with you, child. In every word your Master teaches you about the Force, I am there. I am there in every flow of the light." Ezra was stunned as her form began to turn filmy and light blue as he watched. "Much will rest on your shoulders, Ezra Bridger, Padawan of Caleb Dume. Your journey has just begun."

"Wait-"

But with her last words, she faded into a soft, indistinct glow and Ezra was alone. "Th…thank you." He said to the darkness. His eyes followed the glow and he saw that a door was outlined where there had been no door before. Clutching his crystal, he went to the opening and stepped through, not quite sure of what he would find on the other side.

 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hi, everyone! I hope you are having a wonderful last few days in August. I'm not sure what's left for our intrepid crew, but I'm open to ideas. I might have to let this one sit a while before I decide what's next. Anyway, it's been a great ride and thank you so much for all the comments! I treasure each and every one. Let me know what you think!

* * *

**Chapter 24**

RJ would have been shivering if not for the fire. There was a cool breeze ruffling the treetops and chilling the sweat that had dampened his clothes. The quiet of the Jedi meditation garden seemed to build around him. The whispering of the trees echoed in his mind like the whispers of Jedi long dead. He glanced up to see the big Lasat looking at him. The creature's hands were wrapped around his rifle as he watched the clone.

Trooper RJ5656, was ready for the nightmare of life after the Emperor's order to end, either way. He couldn't remember when he had gotten the idea to try to find a surviving Jedi, except they'd always looked to their leaders before to make sense of things when nothing seemed to connect up. He wanted to know why he and his brothers had killed all the Jedi after the Emperor's order. Was it some sort of glitch in training or had it been in their genes? Had they been bred to turn traitor? When he'd tried to talk to his brothers about it, they'd simply looked at him like he was crazy or disloyal. Whatever made him question those events on that day, hadn't happened to the other clones in his unit, and so he'd been alone, the guilt gnawing away at him until he could no longer serve the Empire.

So, he'd become a deserter. It'd been easy enough. They had been on a planet in the Outer Rim; he'd had a few minutes alone, and he'd set up an explosion that collapsed an abandoned building and made it look like he'd been killed. Eventually his unit left, and only he remained.

And he'd made sure to stay out of the Empire's way. Alora had been a planet that his Jedi commander had taken them to one time, and RJ had remembered it in a dream, when he'd fallen asleep on a public transport from Garel to Ylix. Finding the planet had been the easy part. Rediscovering the temple had taken a while, but when he found it, he set about waiting. One day a Jedi had to come. Maybe the Jedi would know what had happened and why the clones had turned on their commanders. Such disloyalty should have been impossible, and RJ carried a heavy burden of guilt. He had to know what had happened and why. Even if the commander looked at him, drew his lightsaber and killed him, he didn't care. He had to atone somehow for what he'd done, but he was too much of a coward to end it with a blaster. He'd heard whispers of such things…brothers who had lost hope and decided that the barrel of a blaster made a good last meal.

In his mind, the mental image of Master Valen's dead Padawan tore at him again. He remembered pressing the trigger; he remembered the kid, throwing his hands up, but calling upon the Force too late. The thick metallic smell of blood and the child's bright blue eyes staring up at him still pierced his heart. The kid's body had been a broken doll, lying crumpled on the ground. RJ shivered at the memory, bowing his head and squeezing his eyes closed.

"Here." The Lasat tossed a ration bar at him. "Eat something."

RJ flinched as it hit his chest, then looked down at it in his hands.

Hera extended a fresh bottle of water to the clone as she sat to eat. "What is it you want to accomplish by talking to a Jedi?" She had not confirmed or denied that she knew a Jedi or that there were Jedi in the temple, but he already knew. Only a Jedi would be able to open that door. "Help me understand why the clone troopers did what they did. I saw them on my home planet, when I was a girl…and you and your brothers were loyal to the Republic. You knew what good the Jedi had done across the galaxy. How could you have turned on them?"

"There was a transmission…we all got it. From the Emperor…and then I couldn't think anymore. I could only act. A part of me was screaming no…but I couldn't stop it…"

She narrowed her eyes, looking down at the bar that she'd only taken a bite from-the bite that now sat in her stomach like a brick.

"How do you know that you won't try to kill the next Jedi you see?" she asked him quietly. The Lasat tightened his hand on his weapon as they waited for his answer.

He simply didn't know what to say. "I know…something happened to me. I'm different now. The others…my brothers never understood that killing the…Jedi was wrong. They shunned me." He looked up. "At least I can explain. Make what I did right somehow. Maybe your Jedi could help me understand why…why it all happened. And if…if your Jedi kills me.…" He shrugged as he looked down and closed his eyes. "I'm old. It won't be much of a loss."

Hera simply didn't know what to say. On one hand, she wanted to scream at the clone; to make him understand that an 'I'm sorry' just wasn't going to do. But perhaps he was just as hurt as Kanan was. She frowned. "Don't be disappointed if you don't get the forgiveness you're looking for. What the troopers did…the sheer number of lives they destroyed…" she shook her head.

The clone trooper did not reply. He just sank a little further into his cloak.

* * *

When Ezra came through the doorway, Kanan was still sitting in the same spot they'd been in, with his head bowed in meditation. The Jedi lifted his head and smiled broadly when he saw his Padawan standing near him. Ezra came closer and knelt next to Kanan.

"I passed." Ezra said, opening his palm to show the blue crystal there. It was warm, and seemed to pulse with his heartbeat.

Kanan looked down proudly and then closed Ezra's palm over the blue gem. "I'm proud of you." He said, putting his other hand on Ezra's shoulder. He pulled the kid in for a hug, and Ezra sighed in relief.

"I thought I was gonna die." Ezra murmured as Kanan let him go.

"What happened?"

Ezra summarized what he'd seen in the Jedi temple and how he'd tried to save the lives of the two younglings. "Do…do you think…I was really there? It felt so real. And the…man with the blue lightsaber." He shuddered. "In the Force, he felt like…like an Inquisitor. He was strong with the dark side."

Kanan sat back thoughtfully. "I don't know what happened in the temple. I wasn't there when…it all went down. My Jedi Master and I were on a different planet when she was killed."

"Oh."

"We might never know if what you saw was real, but…my gut says it probably was." Kanan murmured thoughtfully.

"There was a woman…in the room where I got my crystal." Ezra began, almost to himself. "I wonder if she was…real too?"

"Who was she?"

"I don't know." Ezra picked at the armor on his shin. "She was pretty. Dark hair, brown robes. She talked to me about the Force and said she was a Jedi from a long time ago." He thought a moment. "She asked a lot of questions…about what I'd been taught. She knew about you. Your name…I mean. She called me the Padawan of Caleb Dume. That's you, right?" He remembered Kanan mentioning the name before.

Kanan's eyes widened. "I haven't gone by that name since…it's been a long time. Can…you describe her?"

"Yeah. Brown hair. In braids. Smiled a lot. I asked her if she would come with us…and said she'd be with me… in everything I learned. She had these brown eyes that…looked into you. She wore flowers in her hair."

Kanan shook his head slightly. It couldn't be…could it?

"Did she look like this?" He closed his eyes, fixing her in his mind, and touched Ezra's temple, guiding the image to him.

Ezra nodded. "Yeah."

"Then it was my Master, Depa Billaba." Kanan said to himself.

Ezra's eyes went wide. "That was her? But…but you told Marellus she was…"

Kanan nodded gently. "She did die. I felt…I felt her pass into the Force a long time ago. Several times I've felt like I could sense her…"

"In the cave, she looked as alive as you or me," Ezra said. "She was happy..." He could feel Kanan's emotional turbulence again, across their bond. "I'm sorry."

Kanan sighed and shook his head. "No, it's…it's fine. If she's able to watch over you, I'm glad."

"Did you have the same bond with her that you and I have?"

"Yeah." Kanan's voice was hoarse. "She was the best Jedi I ever knew. She was wise and fair and followed the Force, rather than the principles of the Jedi Council…and she gave up her life to make sure I…escaped the Purge." The memories came back like the spray of cold water from a breaking wave. He thought of the way she had looked when she told him to run. The fear in her eyes, her face spattered with bl-

Ezra threw himself at Kanan, wrapping his arms around him fiercely and shaking him out of his thoughts. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I'd do if…something happened to you."

Kanan was reminded of his own vision. He thought about telling Ezra, but something held him back. He wrapped an arm around the kid. "I know what you'd do. You'd follow your path into the Force, and be everything I know you can be." He let the kid go and examined him. They were both wrung out, exhausted from the temple and being so close to a vergence. "You're tired. Want to rest or get back to Hera, Sabine and Zeb?"

"Getting out of here sounds…good. They're probably out there waiting for us."

"Yeah," Kanan said, getting to his feet. He felt tired beyond his years and could sense that Ezra felt the same way. He clapped the kid on the shoulder. "C'mon. I think I could sleep for a week."

"Me too."

They made their way up the hallway to the doors.

* * *

Sunlight had just begun to break in the sky when Kanan exited the temple with Ezra. Ezra was still holding his kyber crystal in his hand. Together they made their way up the path back to the _Ghost_.

"How long were we in there? Is it morning or night?"

"It's morning." Kanan said, after checking the time on his comm.

"Think everyone's asleep?" Ezra asked.

"Probably." Kanan replied, seeing the subdued, flickering orange light of a campfire through the trees. "Look, there's a fire."

They approached it to find Zeb and a sleeping figure by the flames. Zeb was wrapped in a blanket, seemingly staring at the fire when he looked up and saw Kanan and Ezra.

"Hera, Sabine…uh…I'm gonna need you down here." He called into his comm, standing.

"Zeb!" Ezra came running towards him. "Look." He opened his palm to show the Lasat his crystal. Kanan looked on with a smile while the sleeping figure seemed to wake and sit up. It was then that he realized that the person laying by the fire wasn't Hera or Sabine.

The figure got to its feet, then pulled back its hood, and Kanan dropped his pack in utter horror.

It was a clone.

* * *

Kanan immediately threw an arm across Ezra's chest and stepped forward so that he was in the forefront. He summoned his blaster to his hand.

"Wait…Kanan wait!" Zeb cried.

With the Force, Kanan shoved the clone back through the air into a tree and held him there. His heart was thudding in his chest so loudly that he could neither hear, see, nor understand anything except for the threat, the threat, the karking THREAT that was in front of him. He was afraid, but he was less afraid of the trooper, than he was that the trooper might hurt one of them. He advanced. Placing the blaster against the trooper's jaw, he took several shaky breaths. All he needed to do was pull the trigger. He could do it easily.

"Please, sir. Listen first before you…before you kill me..." the clone pleaded.

Kanan felt the blood pounding in his ears as he tried to make sense of the clone's words. He certainly couldn't feel Zeb's hands on his shoulder or hear anything except the painful rasp of his breath in his chest as he tried to keep the world from melting down around him. Grey and Stiles. Grey and Stiles were coming because good soldiers follow orders. He was the final one on their list. They had finally come for him at last. Every nightmare he'd had for fifteen years was made real. The muttering of the long dead soldiers filled his ears and he trembled…knowing that if he looked down he'd see his Master's broken body on the ground and he would lose his mind, permanently this time.

Ezra was stunned at the change in Kanan in seconds. Like Sabine, the panic in Kanan's mind felt like a million buzzing zingbees. Kanan put himself out front, just like he'd always done, and he'd thrown the man against the tree. Right now, he had his blaster pressed against the stranger's throat. There was a steady growl coming from him as his wide eyes glared at the helpless old man.

"Kanan?" Just as he'd done with Sabine so many times, Ezra began to push soothing calm over their bond. Whatever this was, it was driving Kanan to the edge.

Just then, Hera was at his side as well. "Kanan, love. It's okay. It's okay." She placed her hand on his arm.

"I won't let you hurt them." Kanan growled at the clone.

"We're fine." Hera assured him trying to pull Kanan's gun hand back. "He's in binders. Look, Kanan. Binders."

"He's unarmed." Ezra said meaningfully. Kanan's eyes finally tore themselves away from the clone as he looked at his Padawan. Ezra was safe. He could feel a steady stream of reassurance coming from his student, which was helping him recover a small sense of control. "It's okay. Zeb's okay. Sabine's here."

Kanan shifted his eyes to Hera. She nodded. "He doesn't have any weapons. We've checked. He's the only one of them around here."

Kanan finally let his hand drop. Hera guided him back, away from the soldier. "It's okay. Zeb—watch RJ. Kanan, come on." She guided the Jedi to the _Ghost_ , sitting down on the ramp with him. He was still breathing harshly as he hung his head between his knees to fight a rising sense of nausea.

"Hera…" Ezra asked. "What was that?" Ezra was looking at her with wide eyes, not understanding.

"The old man. He was one of the clone soldiers. One of the ones who…turned on the Jedi, love." Hera had her hand on Kanan's head, smoothing his hair.

"What's he doing here?" Kanan asked through gritted teeth. He hadn't raised his head, but he wiped at his face with one hand.

"He wanted to…talk to you," Hera said, "and…he…he claims he doesn't know why the clones turned on the Jedi."

"I…I can't do this," he said. "Hera, you don't understand-." His voice was hoarse with emotion. Ezra placed a hand on his shoulder and he felt another flood of calm from Ezra, across their bond.

"Kanan. We'll be right beside you." Hera said softly. "I know this is…impossibly hard, but I think…you should listen to what he has to say. You don't have to believe him…but…he has a story he's been waiting a long time to tell."

"Kriffing hell." He shook his head, tugging the tie out of his hair and running a hand through it. "I need a few minutes." The kid stayed where he was, lending his silent support.

Hera nodded. "I'll go back Zeb and Sabine up. Come when you're ready."

Ezra sat beside Kanan, waiting to see what the Jedi would say.

"They turned on us for no reason." Kanan murmured to Ezra. "I hear…I hear them sometimes in my dreams. It never…never made sense to me why they did that. One minute we were all sitting around the fire, the next minute…"

"He might be able to explain," Ezra answered.

Kanan shook his head, closing his eyes and doing a few deep breathing exercises. Ezra could feel him trying to release his anger, fear and pain into the Force, but it was stuck fast and didn't want to let go. Just as Kanan had done with him, he laid a hand on Kanan's shoulder and _helped_. They stayed that way for a long time, until some of the Jedi's anger and sorrow had bled off into the Force.

Finally, Kanan lifted his head, looking toward the remains of the campfire. The sun had risen fully, so he could see the clone sitting on a log, his head down…his hair a snow-white fringe around his skull. Back then, they had all had brownish-black hair, he remembered, but this clone was older. Back then, they had been taller and more muscular, but this one had begun to shrink with age. He forced himself to notice the differences rather than the similarities and it helped.

He had to face this fear. "Okay," he sighed. He stood up, waited for Ezra, and then the two of them made their way back to the campfire. "Ezra. If he does anything…run, okay?"

"Okay." Ezra watched the Jedi summon the lightasaber at his side into his hand, and walk straight up to the clone, who was now standing.

"You have something to say to me," he said through gritted teeth. "But I have something to say to you first. Why? Why did you betray us?"

The clone stood up. "I don't know, Sir—" he began.

Kanan shoved him backwards and shook his head. "That's not good enough. Try again, traitor!" Hera moved to stand beside Kanan, her presence offering him support. Ezra was on his other side. The teenager could feel Kanan edging the black hole of his emotions again, and he leaned a little closer. _Don't go there_ , he thought. _Please don't._

"We got orders, from the Emperor, that the Jedi were traitors... We were ordered to kill them. And…we didn't question it." The clone's voice broke. "It never occurred to me to wonder how the Jedi could have betrayed the Republic. W-we j-just accepted it. I don't even know why." The clone looked up into Kanan's angry eyes. "It was like…someone just tripped a switch…a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. I didn't know why I was obeying the order, but I did. I thought I was doing the right thing at first…but then later…I realized." Tears streaked the old man's face. "I'm so sorry I-I c-couldn't s-stop it." He dissolved into sobs. "Forgive me, S-sir."

Kanan ignored the plea. He stretched his senses to feel the clone's mind and he was surprised to see truth there. Still, Kanan couldn't help but feel a cold anger. "Who did you kill?" He asked with a cold calmness in his voice. "Which Jedi did you murder? Which ones?"

He could see the clone's memories in his mind. A dark-haired boy, with blue eyes…a little like Ezra. Kanan winced as he saw the clone's memory of the smiling boy's broken body.

"Master Ty Valen and his Padawan…" The clone whispered. "And I'm sorry…so sorry."

Kanan felt his stomach rolling and hitching as he turned away. "My master was murdered for no reason. She always…always treated her soldiers well, and they stood up and pointed their guns at her and shot her down in the dirt."

"Who was s-she…"

Kanan looked up with pain in his blue-green eyes. "Master Depa Billaba," he replied through clenched teeth. "You hunted others, didn't you?" Kanan stepped forward, advancing on the old man again. "Didn't you!?"

The clone hesitated, trembling. "Master Valen's master. Master Nolen Yan. And a temple guard. We…we found them here. The temple doors were open, and the temple guard was trying to convince Yan to leave."

Kanan flinched as though he'd been struck. "Yan. He was an old Jedi. At least eighty. You found him in meditation, didn't you? He was here, trying to find peace here and you…you and your 'brothers—'" Kanan's voice was dripping with disgust as he forced the words out, "—came and killed him."

The clone nodded, whispering, "He never had a chance." RJ hung his head, weeping again.

Ezra was stunned. So this was the story behind the two bodies they'd found in the temple. He felt sorry for the two Jedi who had died, and more sorry for Kanan. He stayed close in case the Jedi needed him.

"He was no threat to you." Kanan advanced on the clone rapidly, igniting his saber before he even realized it. A black wave of grief rose up inside him as he pinned the clone more firmly against the tree. Every bit of pain he'd ever felt seemed as if it were rolling in his guts, churning up like vomit. The dark side whispered in his mind, and he wanted revenge.

 **The dead...they cry out for revenge, Jedi. Do it, now!** The darkside thrummed inside him like a second heartbeat.

The solider stood his ground as the Jedi leveled the blade's tip at his chest.

"Do what you have to, Sir," the clone said through clenched teeth, closing his eyes. "I understand."

For a moment, Kanan trembled on the edge of the unthinkable.

_This isn't you, my Padawan._

Her voice was right at his ear. Later he would realize that it was probably the only thing that could have brought him back from the whirlpool of the dark trying to suck him in.

He let out a breath he'd been holding, and his rage cooled. He let the blade drop.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief.

"Look at me," he demanded.

The clone lifted his trembling head.

"I don't know why you did what you did. I don't understand it, and I can't give you what you're searching for. All I know is we can't go back. We have to move forward down our own paths, both of us."

"You're not gonna kill me?" the clone said, tears streaming down his face.

"Maybe it's just proof that we all…can change." Kanan said thickly. He turned his head away a moment, then refocused on the soldier. He raised a hand and _pushed_ with the Force. "You will never speak of this with anyone. You won't remember what we looked like, or what our ship looked like. In fact, you won't look for any Jedi ever again."

"I won't speak of you or your ship to anyone." The clone repeated in an even voice. "I am not going to look for Jedi."

"Go on." Kanan lowered his saber and deactivated it, his head falling and his eyes closing. "Get out of here," then in a lower voice, "before I change my mind."

Hera hit the release on the binders, and they fell off as the clone simply walked away, toward the woods. Kanan stood alone, silent and unmoving in the new dawn.

"Kanan…" Hera began. She realized the enormity of what had just happened and didn't know what to say.

"Hera…" He looked up at her with everything in his eyes. Putting aside the chance for vengeance and allowing the clone to depart in peace had ripped away all his anger, leaving only the hurt behind.

And hurt, Hera Syndulla could heal.

Without a word, she approached and wrapped her arms around him. A few minutes later, Ezra, Zeb and Sabine joined the embrace under the light of a new day.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm a sucker for alternate universe reboot-type stories. Like really a sucker. I think I enjoy the chance to paint a new path for these characters that we love so well. A reboot has infinite possibilities for me, and that throws my writing muse into high gear.
> 
> Let me know what you think!


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